334? VERTEBRATA. AVES. 



lar crest, and back feathers, gleam with the changing 

 hues of the Humming-birds, gold, copper, sapphire, 

 and emerald. It appears to be a link between the 

 preceding genus and that of the Pheasants. 



Phasianus* the Pheasant. 



The true Pheasants, excluding the Common Fowl, 

 which was united with them by Linnaeus, have the 

 crown of the head entirely covered with feathers, be- 

 ing destitute of comb or wattles. The tail is long 

 and narrow, the feathers being arranged in two 

 planes, overlapping each other, the two middle ones 

 being considerably the longest. They are all natives 

 of Asia, and seem to increase in beauty the farther 

 we go to the East ; until in China we find the beau- 

 tiful Gold and Silver Pheasants (P. Pictus and P. 

 Nycthemerus-\\ the Long-tailed Pheasant (P. Reevesii), 

 and the superb Argus (P. Argus), which, though 

 destitute of metallic radiance, yet being studded 

 with dark ringed eye-spots, on a bright cinnamon 

 ground, is little inferior in its chastened beauty to 

 the Peacocks, to which, indeed, it bears an affinity. 



The Pheasant of our preserves (P. Colchicus), long 

 since naturalized in Europe, is perhaps the earliest 

 reclaimed animal whose introduction into Europe 

 can be traced with historic accuracy. It was brought 

 by the adventurous Argonauts into Greece, as early 

 as 1200 B.C. from the banks of the River Phasis, 



* Its ancient Greek name. 



v, meaning, by day and by night. 



