378 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



from some of the four or five species of the genus Gallus still found in southeastern Asia. Many 

 species of the most resplendent plumage and wonderful adaptations for sexual rivalry are found 

 among the pheasants, such as the Peacock, Argus pheasant and Golden pheasant; but the partridges 

 anil quails, which are not given to polygamy, do not exhibit the spurs, wattles, plumes and brilliant 

 colors possessed by the pheasants. Various members of this family have been introduced in America, 

 but thus far only the Ring-neck, English and Japanese pheasants seem to be well established. The 

 common European Partridge, Perdix cinerea, was liberated in several localities in New 

 York State during the spring of 1909, under the name of Hungarian partridge, and may become 

 acclimated in a few years. 



Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus 



English Pheasant 



phasid'nus, Gr. <paaiav6i, Lat. phasianus, the bird of the river Phasis: col'chicus, Lat. of 



Colchis, the land of the Golden Fleece, from which the ancient Greeks are said 



to have brought this bird 



Description. Male: Tail very long, cuneate, tapering; head with ear tufts and finely mottled 

 sides; head and neck peacock blue, glossed with metallic reflections of green, bronze and purple; 

 sides of head liare, scarlet; back orange-brown, variegated with dark green, buff and black; rump 

 and upper tail coverts rufous, with black and reddish variegations; tail olive-brown, edged with 

 purplish rufous, and barred with black; breast glossy, coppery chestnut, edged with purplish; no 

 rings about the neck. Length 36 inches or less according to the development of the tail; tail up to 

 21 inches; extent about 32 inches; weight about 3 poun<is. Fetnale: Much smaller; length about 

 24 inches; tail 12 inches; weight 2 pounds; colors plain blended light brown and dusky. 



This famous bird is a native of Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Turkey and southeastern Russia 

 as far north as the Volga. The ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated it, the latter no doubt intro- 

 ducing it into Britain, as it was well established in England and held in high esteem at the time 

 of the Xorman Conquest. Now the English breed is so mixed with the Chinese ring-necked pheasant 

 and the Green pheasant which have been introduced into Great Britain m modern times, that pure 

 blooded colchicus is difficult to procure except by importation from the Orient. It has been 

 liberated in various portions of New York State, especially on Long Island and in the Lower Hudson 

 valley, where it survives and breeds in a wild state, but probably will never thrive except under 

 special protection. 



Phasianus torquatus Gmelin 



Ring-necked Pheasant 



iorqua'tus, Lat., ringed 



Distinctive marks: Similar in general color to the English pheasant, but male with a conspic- 

 uous white ring about the neck; top of head more greenish bronze, and a whitish line on sides of 

 crown; the sides golden buff, spotted with black; the upper wing coverts pale grayish blue; the sides 

 of the rump grayish blue; belly greenish black. Slightly smaller than the English pheasant. Length 

 34 inches when the tail is full grown; extent 32; weight 2} pounds or more. 



This bird, often incorrectly called the Mongolian pheasant, has become naturalized on Long 

 Island, in the Hudson valley, the Genesee valley, and the lowlands south of Lake Ontario and about 

 the Central Lakes. The State Forest, Fish and Game Commission has distributed birds of this species 

 in many other parts of the State, but correspondence with the persons who received and liberated 

 the birds indicates that pheasants have failed to become established except in the districts mentioned 

 above. There is no question but that the pheasant will thrive in the warmer parts of New York, where 

 the snows are not so severe as to cover its winter food supply of rose hips, wild grapes, thorn apples, 

 ^■eed seeds, waste grain, etc., provided it has reasonable protection and encouragement. It does 

 some harm, however, to newly planted com by following the rows and digging up the seed with its 



