COMMON PHEASANT. 287 



In the adult male tlie beak is of a whitish horn colour, 

 rather darker at the base ; the eyes surrounded with a naked 

 skin of a bright scarlet colour, speckled with a bluish black ; 

 the irides hazel ; the head, and the neck all round, steel blue, 

 reflecting brown, green, and purple, in different lights ; ear- 

 coverts dark brown ; feathers of the upper part of the back 

 orange red, tipped with velvet black ; back and scapulars 

 orange red, the centre of each feather dark brown, with an 

 outer band of straw yellow ; saddle hackle feathers, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts, light brownish red ; wing-coverts of 

 two shades of red ; quill-feathers dull greyish brown, varied 

 with pale wood brown ; tail-feathers very long, pale yellow 

 brown, with narrow transverse black bars about one inch 

 apart ; breast and belly golden red ; each feather margined 

 with velvet black, and reflecting tints of gold and purple ; 

 lower part of the belly, vent, and under tail-coverts, 

 brownish black; legs, spurs, toes, and claws, brownish 

 lead colour ; the spurs become pointed and sharp after the 

 first year. 



The whole length of a male Pheasant about three feet, de- 

 pending upon the age of the bird, and the consequent length 

 of the two middle feathers of the tail, which frequently mea- 

 sure two feet. Wing from the carpal joint to the end nearly 

 ten inches ; the wing in form rounded ; the fifth quill-feather 

 the longest. 



The female measures about two feet. The general colour 

 of the plumage pale yellowish brown, varied by different 

 shades of darker brown ; sides of the neck tinged with red 

 and green. 



Young birds of the year, of both sexes, in their first plum- 

 age, resemble the females. 



Females assuming the plumage of males may be known by 

 their partial want of brilliancy of tint ; the golden red feathers 

 on the breast generally want the contrast of the broad dark 



