62 Aviary Pheasants. 



black, and the wattles, when excited, meeting on the 

 top of the head ; these wattles are considerably brighter 

 during the breeding season, when the bird also erects 

 tufts of feathers, resembling ears or horns, on either 

 side of the head. The head is black-green, blue, and 

 violet, ending in most cases, now, in a white collar or 

 ring round the throat ; this denotes contamination with 

 the Chinese variety. The tail is cuneiform, and con- 

 sists of eighteen feathers, the two middle sometimes 

 2oin. long. The legs are blackish-brown, with the 

 short, strong spur of all true pheasants. The saddle 

 is now mostly greenish, varying according to the 

 amount of cross-breeding; belly black; sides golden, 

 with black spots. The female of the common bird is 

 not as large as the male ; she is of a rufous-brown, bill 

 brown, irides hazel, and the sides of head feathered ; 

 tail same shape as the male, but not so long. 



Such is a somewhat rough description of the com- 

 mon pheasant of the present day. They are totally 

 different to what they were when first introduced to 

 this country, and hardly any two are alike. A year 

 or two ago I was fortunate enough to obtain a skin 

 from Trans-Caucasia ; this was exhibited at a meeting 

 of the Zoological Society, and was regarded by Mr. 

 Seebohm, Mr. Dresser, and other authorities, as a 

 genuine example of the pure P. colchtcus, as it existed 

 in this country before it was so greatly changed by 

 crossing with other species, so as no longer to exist 

 in a pure state. The wild bird is much darker, the 

 whole colouring inclined to dark, rich red, the sides 



