207 



THE SILVER PHEASANT. 



Phasianus nycthemerus, LINNAEUS. 

 PLATE XVIII. 



Phasianus nycthemerus, Linnaeus, Latham. Black and 

 White Pheasant, Edwards. Pencilled Pheasant, Lath- 

 am. Faisan bicolor, Temminck, Pigeons et Gallinaces, ii. 

 p. 281 



THIS is one of the most powerful of the pheasants, 

 and is a match in battle for a game cock. The 

 naked space round the eyes is very large, and extends 

 forward upon the nostrils, rising above each in the 

 form of a small caruncle, and at the lower part fall- 

 ing down in a small wattle. This part is of a soft 

 velvety texture, and of a bright vermilion tint. 

 The head is adorned with a long and ample crest 

 of glossy purplish black feathers ; the throat and 

 whole under parts of the same deep tint ; the 

 feathers covering those parts are of a lanceolate 

 form, similar to those upon the same parts of 

 the next genus we shall describe. The rest of 

 the plumage may be said to be pure white, but 

 the webs of each feather, from the upper part of the 

 back downwards, are diagonally streaked with black, 



