222 NATURAL nisrOllY OF BIRDS. 



eggs are siiinll, of a palp stone color, willi brownish spooks towards the ends. A small 

 group of gruun-ltrciistoj pheasants may be here noticed, consisting of three sj)ecies ; 

 P. versicolor from Japan, 1'. elegaiis from Sze-chuen, Cliina, and P. decoUatns from Sze- 

 chiien and Moupin. Tliey are all species of beantiful ]pliiniage, the green hues with 

 nielallic relleclions covering the entire under-]>arts of /'. nrntcolor, cowWwvA to a liroad 

 band from throat to vent in the second named, the flanks being a rich chestnut ; while 

 the tliird, P. decoUtttus, has the green color restricted to the region of the abdomen, 

 with the thinks golden yellow. In habits, so far as known, they resemble other mem- 

 bers of this genus. The white-winged ])heasants, of which the superb /-'. iiisignis and 

 its iianlly less beautiful relative, P. >/io>ir/olicits, may be considered as ty])ical, form 

 another small group, distinguished by the presence of a more or less broad white ring 

 around the lower jiartof the neck, beneath the rich metallic hues of the head and neck. 

 They are natives of various ])arts of Asia, China, and the island of Formosa. They are 

 met with in flocks of considerable size in the localities they fi'cquent, and are one of the 

 chief attractions for the table to the ]icople inhabiting the coimtries in which they dwell. 



The remaining species of the genus P/iusidiitis are those without rings aroun<l the 

 neck, the metallic hues of blue or green coming to the breast. This group embraces 

 the well-known /-'. coMiicim, or common English ))heasant so-called, and tlio superb 

 P. K/i(iiri from eastern Turkestan. The English jiiieasant was naturalized in Great 

 JJrilain before the Norman Conquest, the earliest record being in the year 1059, 

 when it was mentioned in a bill of f.nre now ]ircscrved in the IJritisli ^Museum. It was 

 ]irobabiy introduced by the Uoinan conquerors, who also brought the fallow-deer to 

 liritain. Like all of this genus, these ]dicasants are lovers of thickets and forests, 

 shy, and, when hard ])ressed, taking refuge in trees. They liave a kind of one-syllable 

 crow, by which, in the spring, the male summons the female into his presence. They 

 aie omnivorous, and the male does not trouble himself with nest-lniilding or the care 

 of the young. 



The sub-family Meleagrinte comprises the turkeys. Some writere place these with 

 the G\iinea fowls in a se|>nrate family, Mklkaguid-K, but it seems that tliey should more 

 pro]ieily be included as a sub-family of the Phasianida^ to the sjiecies of which they 

 ;ne allied by various char.acteristics. But three species are known, the North 

 American i)ird, ^f. <j(iUo]H(v<i, the Mexican J/. niexlvniKi, and the Central American ^f. 

 ocellata. The habits of the common species are so well known that it is uiniecessary 

 to devote any s]>ace to them here. The Ciiitral American species is a bird of wonder- 

 ful ))luniage, excelling the others — brilliantly nii'tallic as theirs may bo — by the 

 extiaordinaiy variety and splendid hue of its scintillating coloring. The bare liead 

 and neck is dco]) blue, covered with bright red warts ; the wattle between the eyes is 

 also dec]) blue ending in yellow; the upper part of the back feathers metallic^ green, 

 succeeded Ijy a line of black, ami terminating with yellow; l)ack and rump feathers 

 blue, followed by black and ti]>]ied with red; greater wing-coverts deep red ; flanks 

 and lower parts black tipped with brilliant red ; uiii)er tail-coverts and tail-feathers light 

 brown mottled with black, followed by a broad spot of deep blue margined on both 

 sides with black, then a line of yellow and tip]) d with deep red; bill, legs, and feet 

 red. All these bright colors are metallic, and as brilliant as those of the humming-bird. 

 This species goes in small flocks, is never found in the dense forests, preferring dis- 

 tricts where forests and open country ])revail. The birds roost in trees, and the male 

 struts in the same manner as the common species, and in other of its habits greatly 

 resembles the M. gallopuvo. 



