CHAPTER XI 



Hybrids and Hybridisation 



Mongolian Hybrids 

 (See also Phasianus Mongolicus) 



It is only during this last few years that the Mongolian 

 Pheasant has come so much to the front in the estimation of 

 British game-preservers. Previous to the introduction of 

 the Mongolian, the author believes that the ring-necked 

 Pheasant was the predominating bird in the coverts, and for 

 the introduction of fresh stock, pure bred specimens of the 

 Chinese Pheasant (/*. Torquatus) were relied upon, just as 

 the pure Mongolian (/*. Mongolicus) is used at the present 

 time. 



The Mongolian Pheasant possesses distinct advantages 

 over both the Chinese and the Japanese for the production 

 of hybrids, either half or three-quarter bred. The Chinese 

 Pheasant has certainly proved its value so much, that it is 

 mainly responsible for the ring-necked Pheasants now widely 

 distributed throughout game preserves. When the Japanese 

 Pheasant was first of all used for crossing with the common 

 Pheasant, either as P. Colchicus or hybrids derived from the 

 latter and the Chinese, great expectations were anticipated, 

 and it certainly was a decided success, so far as the first 

 generation was concerned. Subsequent experiments, however, 

 have conclusively proved that the perpetuation of P. Versicolor 

 in succeeding generations has exercised a detrimental influence, 



68 



