170 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



intervals with broad, conspicuous black bands, passing into 

 reddish-brown on the sides of the basal portion of the six 

 central feathers ; bill yellowish-horn colour ; irides yellow ; 

 feet greyish-white. The female has the whole of the upper 

 surface brownish-black, with a margin of buff to every feather ; 

 the throat whitish, and the central portion of the under 

 surface fawn colour; flanks mottled with brown; tail buff, 

 barred with dark brown, between which are other interrupted 

 bars of the same hue. These marks are broader 011 the two 

 central feathers than on the others, and, moreover, do not 

 reveal the edge on either side." 



The specific name torquatus is derived from torquis, a 

 necklace or collar. This species was introduced into England 

 a great many years since, long before the time of Latham 

 (1790), who described it as having been turned out in 

 preserves on many estates; and in 1742 Peter Collinson saw 

 " some beautiful China pheasants " in the possession of 

 Captain Goff, an East India Director (Richardson, Corre- 

 spondence, 1835). No birds could be better adapted for our 

 coverts ; being natives of a cold part of China, they are very 

 hardy a character which they display by laying early in the 

 season, and by producing an abundant supply of eggs. The 

 pure Chinese is a bird of bold flight, rising through the 

 covert with great quickness, and then pursuing a swift, 

 straight course. It is unquestionably a most ornamental 

 addition to our game birds, being valuable not only for the 

 beauty of its plumage, but also for the delicacy of its flesh. 

 The breed is, however, kept in a state of absolute purity with 

 some difficulty, as the males are apt to wander; indeed, 

 Mr. W. Liddiard, West Bridgford, Nottingham, who has 

 reared them in the United States, where they are commonly 

 known as Mongolians, reports that he had evidence of his 

 ring-necks being killed thirty and forty miles from where they 

 were bred. Hence crosses between it and the common species 

 are very prevalent ; these constitute what are usually called 

 the ring-necked pheasants. These cross-bred birds are 



