VARIETIES AND SPECIES OF THE PHEASANT 273 



The pheasant of Tibet, or Ph. vlangalii, is pale sandy on the 

 upper parts, and has golden-buff flanks. 



Perjvalsky's pheasant, or Ph. strauchi, differs from Stone's 

 pheasant by its orange-red flanks instead of the dark-green and 

 the dark-red scapulars with light buff centres. It is recommended 

 for introduction without much hope of attainment. Its home is 

 Gansu. 



The West Chinese pheasant differs from the ring-necked 

 Chinese bird by the absence of a ring of white ; its scientific 

 name is Ph. decollatus. 



The ring-necked pheasant, or Ph. torquatus, was introduced 

 from China to St. Helena about 1513 A.D. In England its first 

 introduction is unrecorded, but it exists here no longer in a pure 

 state. It is flourishing in New Zealand, and also in America. 

 In some of the States, including Oregon, it has bred so largely as 

 to be a positive nuisance to agriculture. 



Two more pheasants, only slightly differing from the ring- 

 necked bird of China, are Ph.formosanus and Ph. satchennensis. 



The Japanese pheasant, or Ph. versicolor, is a beautiful bird 

 with a dark-green breast. It was introduced by Lord Derby in 

 1840, and although the early crosses were no doubt large and 

 beautiful, in the natural course of things, when colours came to 

 blend, as they do not at first, a mongrel coloration would have 

 been certain had not the crossing been so limited as to make no 

 difference. 



Of these 17 true type pheasants it is usual only to take 

 account of the cocks. In the above not a word has been said 

 of the equally important hens, that are practically all alike, 

 which is additional proof that these are not species, and are only 

 local varieties, breeding a little less true to colour than the 

 varieties of fancy pigeons and fancy fowls. 



The golden pheasant is not of the same genus as those 

 above, but is closely allied to Lady Amherst's pheasant. The 

 former does not do for a covert bird, because it kills the much 

 bigger common pheasant. The silver pheasant belongs to 

 another genus, and also is barred from the coverts in consequence 

 of its greater superiority in fight than in flight. 

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