Reeves' Pheasant. 47 



wild on his estate of Guisachan, Inverness-shire ; 

 and he most kindly gave me a fine two-year-old 

 cock, which he had shot, and the total length of the 

 bird is only a trifle under 6ft. 



The adult cock has the top of the head white, with 

 minute spots of black on most of the feathers. Below 

 this white scalp is a jet-black band; eye red, with a 

 white streak under it ; throat white ; upper part of 

 neck black ; breast black. The back, down to the 

 tail, has every feather pure golden, edged with black ; 

 part of the wing coverts have more black on the gold. 

 The tail feathers are very stiff ; the two centre feathers 

 are from 5iin. to 53in. long in a good specimen; the 

 edges are chestnut, centre of each pale grey, with 

 semicircular bars of black, and with deep chestnut, 

 verging on red, at the point of each black spot; on 

 one feather, now before me, I can count thirty-nine 

 of these crescent bars. The tail is somewhat fan- 

 shaped, the bird being in the habit of expanding it 

 when excited. The hen is a rich brown, of various 

 shades, with a lighter streak of brown under and over 

 the eye. The eggs are of various shades, very similar 

 to those of the common pheasant, but larger. 



It would be impossible to speak too highly of these 

 noble birds, and those who have room will find but 

 little trouble in rearing them ; and to the game pre- 

 server I would say, What could be grander? They 

 breed as easily as our common ones, and their great 

 size and beauty render them most attractive. The 

 more I see of the Reeves', the better I like them. 



