196 F A U N U L A O F C II I N A. 



body no larger than a pigeon. One of the kind died on 

 board the fliip in 1781, in its paffage from China. Colo- 

 nel DavieSi of the artillery, made an accurate drawing from 

 the feather itfelf, and favgred me with a fight of his per- 

 formance. 



Golden, iv. 717. Echv. 68, 69. This fpecies is among the moft 

 fplendid of the feathered creation. Is not uncommon 

 in the Britifh menageries, and hardy enough to bear our 

 climate in a ftate of liberty, if the brilliancy of its colors 

 did not make it the mark of our poachers, and quickly 

 bring on its extirpation. It breeds readily in confinement; 

 its eggs are redder than thofe of the common pheafant. 

 Thefe birds are called in China, Kin-ki, or Golden hens. 

 They are found in the provinces of 2~unan, Se-chwen, and 

 Shen-Ji% its flefli is more delicate than the common kind. 



Silver, iv. 719. Edw. 66. In brilliancy of colors this fpecies 

 muft give way to the preceding ; but not in elegance. The 

 whole upper part of the male being white, moft beauti- 

 fully pencilled with black lines, the lower of a fine purple 

 black ; breeds with us in confinement. 



Superb, iv. 709. ^ 



Pencilled, iv. 719. 



Fire-backed, EmbaflTy to China, vol. i. p. 246. tab. 13. Nat. 

 Mifc. pi. 321. 



Partridge.— Pearled, iv. 772. Brijfon i. 234. tab. 28. The Cbinefe 

 in fevere weather keep their hands warm by holding this 

 and the Cbinefe quail between their palms, as appears in 

 many of their painted papers. 



Chinefey 



