IIIE IRUE PHEASANTS. 2^ 



Range. — Extending from the lower Amoor, Mantchuria, 

 Corea, Tsu-sima (Japan), and Eastern Mongolia, through 

 Northern and Eastern China as far south as Canton. Although 

 this species appears to have been found wild by ]\f r. Hoist on 

 the island of Tsu-sima, which is between the Corean coast and 

 Kiusiu, the southern island of Japan, it seems to us probable 

 I hat it has been introduced there. 



On the island of St. Helena, where it was of course in- 

 troduced, it has lon» been wild, and numbers arc killed 

 annually. 



Habits. — The best account of the habits of the Chinese Ring- 

 necked Pheasant is given by Prjevalsky, who writes as follows : — 

 " We met with the Pheasant north of Gu-bey-key, in Muni-ul, 

 and along the northern bend of the Hoang-ho River. In 

 the former locality they inhabit the wooded districts, usually 

 in the vicinity of brooks, and do not ascend any mountains 

 beyond 6,500 feet above the level of the sea. In the Hoang- 

 ho Valley they keep in the thick groves near Chinese fields and 

 habitations, and drink out of rain-pools or wells, there being 

 only very few brooks and rivulets. The courtship in spring is 

 probably like that of our European Pheasant. The calling of 

 the male reminds one of the voice of a young barn-door fowl, 

 and is followed by a flapping of the wings ; it can be heard at 

 a verst (two-thirds of a mile) distance in clear weather. It 

 usually pairs at the same place, choosing for that purpose the 

 bushes, or some little hill, but never a tree. After each call 

 it remains silent for from five to fifteen minutes, according to the 

 intensity of its excitement and the time of the day. Its calls 

 are loudest and most freque^nt at sunrise and just before sun- 

 set. 



'' In spring the pairing commences in the beginning of 

 April, and lasts until the end of June, when the males fight 

 vigorously, just like our barn-door fowls, the conqueror pur- 

 suing the conquered biid until it is driven off. The hens 

 usually keep close to the cocks, but do not utter any note, 



