THE TRUE PHEASANTS. IQ 



the two former with a green spot on each side of the shaft ; 

 and t?ie chest- and breast-feathers edged with da7'k green. The 

 middle of the breast and sides of the belly are, moreover, con- 

 spicuously dark green. This species bears the same relation- 

 ship to P. chrysomelas, described below, that P. persicus bears 

 \.Q P. principalis. Total length, 35*5 inches; wing, 9*6; tail, 

 19-5 ; tarsus, 27. 



Adi-ilt Female. — Much paler than the female of P. colcJiicus, 

 the ground-colour of the mantle h€\x\'i pale rufous-buff^ and the 

 general colour of the rest of the plumage light buff. Total 

 length, 23-4 inches; wing, 8*3; tail, ir2 ; tarsus, 2-3. 



Range. — Valleys of Yarkand and Kashgar, as far east as the 

 Aksu and Khotan rivers. 



Habits. — Dr. J. Scully writes : — " This fine Pheasant is a per- 

 manent resident in the plains of Eastern Turkestan, frequent- 

 ing long grass jungle and reeds growing in waste ground. It is 

 said to occur most plentifully in the Dolan jungle, Makit and 

 Maralbashi being mentioned as places where it is particularly 

 numerous. However, it is common enough near Kashgar and 

 Yarkand. I know of two rather good places for this Pheasant, 

 one between Yarkand and Kokrabat, and another near Besh- 

 kant. The flight of this bird is rather slow, and it commonly 

 goes over the long grass only for a short distance, and then 

 drops down. When alarmed the male bird utters a harsh^. shrill 

 cry. 



"These Pheasants are the most untameable birds it is pos- 

 sible to conceive. In confinement they knock their tails to 

 pieces, and wear all the feathers off their heads in insane 

 attempts at escape ; so that a dozen of these birds, after they 

 have been captives for awhile, become the most ragged crew 

 imaginable. Even after being kept in a pheasant-house for 

 months, whenever one approached within a dozen yards of 

 them, they were so alarmed that they would almost knock 

 themselves to pieces, tumble over each other, and fly straight 



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