400 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



ttuu by C. Rti<] 



GOLDEN PHEASANT 



This bird is often kept in aviaries, on account of its magnificent livery 



[ffiihaw, K.B. 



Ph,u b} If. P. Dandt, f.Z.S. 



GOLDEN PHEASANT 



This bird is moulting. In full dress the cafe seen 

 in the upper figure is golden <with blue-black bars 



which may be heard for at least two miles in the still 

 morning air. Every few minutes this display is repeated 

 . . . but they seem careful not to run against each other, 

 for they have not yet got to the fighting-point. After a 

 little while the lady birds begin to show an interest in 

 the proceedings, by moving about quickly a few yards at 

 a time, and then standing still a short time. When these 

 actions are continued by a large number of birds at a 

 time, it presents a funny sight, and you can easily think 

 they are moving to the measure of music." 



The prairie-hens of America possess great economic 

 value, as great, indeed, as the red grouse of the British 

 Islands, enormous numbers of prairie-hens being exported 

 to Europe every year, whilst still greater numbers are 

 consumed by the American people themselves. It is said 

 that American grouse will sometimes eat the shoots of 

 a plant called kalmia, which renders the flesh poisonous. 



The SAGE-GROUSE is a rather large bird, attaining a 

 weight of 8 Ibs., found in the Western United States; it 

 is, indeed, the largest of the American grouse. Its court- 

 ing habits resemble those of the prairie-hens. From the 

 book containing the above lively description we cull the 

 following : 



" Early one morning in the first week in March, 1877, 

 I had the long-wished-for opportunity to observe the actions 

 of a single cock while paying court to several females near 

 him. . . . His large, paleyellow air-sacs were fully inflated, 



