State Game Farms, who says he finds him excellent for renewing the blood 

 of his strain and, as a sporting bird, quick to rise to a dog, seldom running 

 along the ground, and a swift flyer. 



Mr. C. William Beebe, states that he has shot pheasants within two 

 miles of Shanghai without the white ring on the neck, apparently demon- 

 strating the fact that the Chinese pheasant does not always breed true to 

 type. In fact, Mr. Beebe states that there is great irregularity. He is of 

 the opinion that the large majority of the pheasants of the Pacific Coast 

 country have no blood of the common pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, in 

 them, as practically all our eastern birds have. Mr. Rogers, on the other 

 hand, states that in his observation pure-bred Chinese birds breed in this 

 country unusually true to type, when reared in captivity. He prefers the 

 pure Chinese to the ringneck, esteeming it a keener, hardier bird. 



OREGON PREFERS CHINESE.— I am indebted to Mr. William L. 

 Finley, state biologist of Oregon, for the following: 



In regard to your question concerning the pheasants in Oregon, 

 I will say that the wild birds are pure-bred Chinese, Phasiaruts 

 torquatus. I have seen a great many of the birds killed in the wild 

 state and the stock is pure. Of course, we have quite a number 

 of people who purchase pheasants, and some of these have pro- 

 cured Mongolian or English ringneck stock, but as far as I know, 

 none of these has been liberated anywhere in Western Oregon. 



From the experience I have had, I believe the pure Chinese, 

 Phasianus torquatus, is a better game bird than any of the others. 

 In talking with some of the eastern dealers, I have had them claim 

 that their birds were larger and better. In fact, one of them told 

 me that he thought the Oregon pheasants were not as good stock 

 because they are smaller and run mostly to legs. This was either 

 because he had different stock for sale or he did not know this 

 bird in the wild state. I take it that the main point in a 

 good game bird is one that can take good care of itself in the 

 wild state, and reproduce itself in sufficient quantity to give 

 hunters something to shoot at. If you could observe our pheasants 

 in Oregon travel up and down the Williamette Valley, you would 

 see that this bird is a success from the sportsman's standpoint and 

 in every other way. 



In reproducing the above I have taken the liberty in several 

 instances of changing the term "ringneck" to "Chinese," as for the pur- 

 poses of this book we have determined upon the latter as the designation 

 of the pure-bred bird of Chinese ancestry, Phasianus torquatus. 



