INTRODUCTION INTO AMERICA. 39 



six thousand birds were bagged in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of the city of Auckland. Pheasants were first introduced 

 into the province of Auckland about thirty years since, seven 

 males and two females, the only survivors of two dozen 

 shipped in China, comprising the original stock of the 

 Chinese species. At the same time a number of the Common 

 species were liberated in another part of the colony. These 

 were supplemented by six more Chinese birds in 1856. Both 

 species have multiplied exceedingly, but their multiplication 

 has in many places been lessened by the employment of 

 phosphorised oats laid down to poison the rabbits. 



The pheasant has also been introduced into several of 

 the islands of the Pacific. By the kindness of Lieut. C. 

 de Crespigny, of H.M.S. Curaqoa, I received a specimen 

 of the pheasant which is now breeding in the Samoan 

 Islands. This pheasant is undoubtedly of the Chinese 

 ring-necked species, the neck being nearly surrounded by 

 the distinguishing white collar, but there is a considerable 

 difference in the colour of the neck at the base and the 

 scapular feathers, which are much lighter than in our 

 ordinary species. 



The Chinese pheasant was introduced by the Portuguese 

 into the island of St. Helena in the year 1513, and has 

 increased in numbers to a very considerable extent ; but 

 the present representatives of the original stock differ some- 

 what from their ancestors, both in the colour and markings 

 of the plumage, as is described in the chapter on that 

 species. 



Yery successful attempts have been made to introduce 

 the different species of pheasants into North America as game 

 birds, where in many parts they have become thoroughly 

 acclimatised. The original stocks from whence the pheasants 

 in the Western States are descended were imported direct 

 from China, consequently the ring-necked pheasant (P. 

 torquatus) is common in localities where the old English 

 pheasant (P. colchicus) is almost unknown, although the latter 



