PHEASANT. RASORES. PHASIANUS. 421 



with minute black specks. Crown of the head bronzed 

 green ; the feathers rather elongated and silky. On 

 each side of the occiput is a tuft of dark golden-green 

 feathers, that can be erected at pleasure, and are very 

 conspicuous in the pairing season. Upper part of the 

 neck dark green, with purple and violet-blue reflections. 

 Lower part of neck, breast, and flanks, deep reddish- 

 orange, shewing, in some positions, beautiful light pur- 

 ple reflections ; the feathers heart-shaped, or cloven to- 

 wards the tip, bordered and terminated with pansy-pur- 

 ple. Middle of the belly and thighs blackish-brown ; 

 in younger birds mixed with reddish-brown. Exterior 

 border of the upper back and scapular feathers deep 

 reddish-orange, glossed with purple ; within which is a 

 yellowish-white band ; and the centre of each feather 

 black, or spotted with brownish-black. Lower, back, 

 and tail-coverts green, of different shades, intermixed 

 with brownish-orange, tinged with purplish-red; the 

 feathers long, pendent, and of open texture. Tail very 

 long ; the feathers rapidly decreasing from the centre to 

 the exterior; their middle part of a wood- brown, with 

 transverse black bands, fringed with reddish-brown, and 

 tinged with purple. Legs and toes greyish-black. Spur 

 upwards of half an inch in length, pointed, and very 

 sharp in adult birds. 



General colour of the plumage yellowish-brown, mixed Female, 

 with different shades of grey, and brown and black. 

 Cheeks covered with small closely-set feathers. Upper 

 part of the neck shewing, in some lights, iridescent re- 

 flections. 



Pied and white varieties of the Pheasant are very common. 



