CHAPTEE XII. 



PHEASANTS ADAPTED TO THE COVERT 

 (CONTINUED). 



1 



THE JAPANESE PHEASANT {PHA8IANUS 

 VERSICOLOR). 



■^ APAN, among the numerous objects of interest with 

 which it has furnished Europe^ has supplied us 

 with the most gorgeous of the true pheasants — 



P, versicolor. It is doubtful, indeed, whether any of 

 r the gallinaceous group, magnificent as many of them 



are, can surpass this bird in resplendent brilliancy. 



The wonderful dark grass green of the breast, that no 

 painter can equal, the dark blue of the neck, and the brilliant 

 scarlet of the face, taken together, constitute one of the most 

 effective combinations of colour to be found in the whole 

 class of birds. This splendid addition to the fauna of Great 

 Britain was utterly unknown in a living state in Europe sixty 

 years since. In 1840 a few birds were brought to Amsterdam 

 from Japan. Uf these a pair passed into the possession of 

 the Earl of Derby. Of this pair the female died, and the 

 breed was established by crossing the male wich several 

 females of the ordinary species, and then pairing the half- 

 bred progeny with the old male, and continuing the breeding 

 back until the offspring- were no longer capable of being 

 distinguished from the original bird. 



At the death of the Earl the Knowsley collection came to 

 the hammer. A number of the versicolor pheasants, including 



