38 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, 
are mostly blackish-brown; feathers of the upper mantle 
rufous, tipped with brownish-grey, mottled with black, and each 
with a somewhat heart-shaped white spot ; rest of the upper- 
parts mottled with rufous, buff, and grey, the wing-coverts and 
scapulars with buff, and the lower back with black, shaft-stripes; 
chest, breast, and sides somewhat like the mantle, but the white 
spots much less conspicuous; rest of under-parts pale buff; 
the middle tail-feathers mottled with sandy, buff, and black ; 
outer pairs chestnut mixed with black, and barred and tipped 
with white. Total length, 32 inches; wing, 9; tail, 16°6 ; tar- 
SuS, 2°5. 
Ranze.— Mountains of Northern and Western China, extend- 
ing as far east as Kiu-kiang. 
Habits.—The following account of this magnificent Pheasant, 
the giant of its genus, is given by Mr. E. F, Creagh, in the 
“Field” of May 13th, 1886, and, though written more from a 
sportsman’s point of view, it gives some idea of the birds’ habits 
in a wild state, and is by far the most interesting note that I 
have been able to find, very few Europeans having had the 
good fortune to meet with this Pheasant in its native wilds. 
“Tt was from Ichang, a post at the head waters of the 
Yangtse, the great river of China, or rather, where that river 
leaves its gorges, that I started with the stream to a large 
valley where I knew Reeves’s Pheasants had been seen. It 
is useless to ask any questions of the country folk, who will 
always say ‘Yes.’ I therefore landed and walked along a wide 
valley, with high perpendicular mountains of conglomerate on 
either side, and beetling over small woods of cypress. The 
birds live on the berry of this tree, and fly from one wood to 
another. They will never show themselves if they can avoid 
it, and, through their great fleetness when running, steal away 
from the dogs. Sometimes, however, when taken by surprise, 
they rise, and then only by great caution can a single sports- 
man hope to get them. Surrounding the small woods with 
