76 ORNAMENTAL FOWL. 



other parts. It inhabits the Great Narnaguas country, and has 

 the same manners as its congeners. 



There is another species found in Madagascar, which is very 

 closely allied to the common bird, differing chiefly in the general 

 colour of the plumage, being darker, and in the spots being 

 larger. 



THE RING-NECKED PHEASANT 



Is but a variety of the common pheasant. It would be difficult 

 to find a preserve of any extent in England or Ireland, in which 

 the common brown, and the ring-necked pheasant are not jointly 

 to be had, or, perhaps, an intermediate race between them. Some 

 authors describe the ring-necked bird as being less than the com- 

 mon brown bird, a doctrine which I cannot subscribe to, having 

 kept and bred both. I should rather say, the ring-necked was 

 the larger of the two ; however, if they differ in size, it is very 

 trifling, indeed. The cock should weigh near 3 Ibs. Into most 

 preserves, has latterly been introduced, a white and a pied 

 variety, both very beautiful, and quite as easily reared as the 

 common, or, indeed, I should rather say, more so, which, per- 

 haps, arises from their having been tame bred, and appearing 

 more domestic than the coloured birds. The upper part of the 

 head of the ring-necked pheasant is tawny, with a gloss of green. 

 Two white dashes surmount the eyes, and the rest of the head 

 and neck are of a deep and brilliant green, with a violet re- 

 flection, except where the white collar, that gives name to the 

 species, passes round the neck. The feathers of the back are 

 black, in the middle, surrounded by a zig-zag whitish band, and 

 tipped by a black, arrow-shaped spot ; those of the shoulders are 

 black at the base, marked in the centre by a whitish pupil, sur- 

 rounded by a black ring and chesnut, with somewhat of a purple 

 gloss towards their tips. The tail coverts are light green, with 

 loose, silky barbs ; the breast is of a brilliant reddish purple ; 

 the sides pale yellow ; the under parts of the thighs black, with 

 a gloss of violet ; and the tail feathers olive green in the middle, 

 with broad, black, transverse bands, and of about sixteen inches 

 long. They are furnished with black spurs, shorter than those 

 of the common poultry. In the female, there is a narrow band 

 of short, black feathers beneath each eye, which distinguishes 

 her from the common hen pheasant, from which she differs, 

 besides, in the want of the black spots upon the brjast, and the 

 greater intensity of the transverse black bars upon her tail. The 



