ii6 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



original of the mythical Chinese Fung Hwang (Phoenix bird). 

 To my mind this is extremely probable, but Williams in The 

 Middle Kingdom considers the Argus Pheasant, found in Ton- 

 king and southern Yunnan, the origin of this fabulous bird. 



THE GOLDEN PHEASANT 



This weU-known bird {Chrysohphus pictus) is abundant 

 on the mountains of western Hupeh and eastern Szechuan, 

 where it has much the same geographical range as the " Reeves." 

 West of the Red Basin its place is taken by its congener, the 

 Amherst Pheasant. Though so common, and in spring and 

 early summer heard calling on all sides, the Golden Pheasant 

 is rarely seen. Large numbers are entrapped alive by the 

 Chinese and sold as pets. Few foreigners have had the luck 

 to shoot this bird on his native heath. I had one chance only 

 in my travels and that a very easy one, which I missed with both 

 barrels. This bird frequents dense woods, where Evergreen 

 Oak, Holly, Rhododendron, and other broad-leaved evergreen 

 trees occur ; woods of Pine and Oak scrub are also a favourite 

 haunt, and t strong partiality to rocky ground is shown. It 

 ranges from z<ooo to 8000 feet altitude, but is commonest be- 

 tween altitudes of 3000 to 5000 feet. This Pheasant feeds largely 

 on berries, but is not averse to small acorns. He is a timid and 

 crafty bird and seldom strays far from thick cover. He is also 

 a great runner, only taking wing when hard pressed ; the flight 

 is always low, fairly straight, and of short duration into the 

 nearest thicket. 



In the adult male the crest and rump are golden yellow ; 

 feathers forming the cape, deep orange margined with black ; 

 breast, flanks, and upper tail coverts tipped with scarlet ; tail, 

 dark brown, barred with black ; average length about 42 inches, 

 tip to tip. The young males resemble the females more than 

 the adult males, having the head and rump rufous-chestnut ; 

 rest of the body brownish and barred. The female is con- 

 siderably smaller than the male, measuring 24 to 26 inches, 

 tip to tip ; the colour of the plumage is uniform buff-brown, 

 barred. 



The Chinese designate this bird " Chin che " (Uterally, 



