CHAPTEE XIII. 



PHEASANTS ADAPTED TO THE COVERT 

 (CONTINUED). 



THE MONGOLIAN PHEASANT (PHASIANUS 

 MONGOLIGUS). 



"i HE magnificent pheasant known as the Mongolian 

 conies from the valley of the Syr-Daryr, as far east 

 as Lake Saisan, and the valley of the Black Irtish. 

 iSo little is known of it in this country that Mr. Ogilvie 

 Grant, in his valuable monograph on " Game Birds," 

 published in 1897, says that he could find no notes of 

 importance on the habits of this truly splendid pheasant, which 

 is characterised by a broad white ring round the neck inter- 

 rupted in the front by a narrow patch of colour and by 

 having the whole of the wing coverts white, the mantle, chest, 

 and breast bronzy orange red, the throat purplish bronzy red, 

 and the breast and flank feathers tipped with very dark 

 green. The species is of large size, the males measuring 

 between 36in. and 37in. Coming as the Mongolian does from 

 the cold parts of China, the desert of Gobi, and Mongolia, 

 it is exceedingly hardy, and suffers more from extreme heat 

 than from severe cold. 



An unfortunate misunderstanding has arisen in the 

 United States respecting this bird. The State authorities in 

 Massachusetts and in Oregon have in the most extraordinary 

 manner confounded it with the King-neck, P. torqual-ua. 

 They have issued specific directions for its cultivation, 



