'JHE TRUE PHEASANTS. 35 



have bred in the Zoological Gardens, but the young birds have 

 not survived for more than a few days. 



Dr. Joseph Wilson gives the following notes on this species :— 

 "During the first part of our stay at Simoda, the culli\a';ed 

 fields afforded no food for the Pheasants. The natives told 

 us they were plentiful in the hills ; but no one was willing to 

 undertake to show them, and several rambles through the 

 bushes where these birds were supposed to feed ended in dis- 

 appointment. Once only I had a glimpse of a brood of young 

 ones, near a hut in the mountains ; but they immediately dis- 

 appeared by running very rapidly. Perhaps one reason of our 

 want of success was to be found in the fact that the wheat was 

 ripe and partially harvested before we left (June 24th), so that 

 during the time of our efforts they were enabled to fill their 

 crops occasionally from the wheat-fields, and lie very close in 

 the hills during the day, without being under the necessity of 

 wandering in search of food. 



*' The note of one or the other of these species of Pheasants 

 was heard frequently. On the top of a precipitous hill, about 

 a mile south of Simoda, covered by small pines and a very 

 thick growth of shrubbery, a Pheasant (so we were assured by 

 the Japanese) passed the weary hours while his mate was on 

 her nest, and very sensibly solaced himself and her with such 

 music as he^vas capable of making. It was, however, any- 

 thing but melodious, and may be represented as a sort of com- 

 pound of the filing of a saw and the screech of a Peacock. 

 There are two notes only, uttered in quick succession, and re- 

 presented by the Japanese name of the bird, Ki-ji ; but the 

 second note is much longer, louder, and more discordant ; in 

 fact, has more of the saw-filing character, Kee-jaeae. These 

 two notes are uttered ; and, if the bird is not disturbed, they 

 are repeated in about five minutes. A good many attempts, 

 perhaps twenty, to become better acquainted with this indi- 

 vidual all failed; it seemed impossible to make him fly, 

 though his covert was by no means extensive." 



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