THE PHEASANT. 45 



elegant plumage'' of the male. But with pheasants in a state of 

 confinement, those that take this new plumage always become 

 barren, and are spurned and buffeted by the rest. From what 

 took place in a hen pheasant, in the possession of a lady, a 

 friend of Sir Joseph Banks, it would seem probable that this 

 change arises from some alteration of temperament at a late 

 period in the animal's life. This lady had paid particular atten- 

 tion to the breeding of pheasants. One of the hens, after hav- 

 ing produced several broods, moulted, and the succeeding fea- 

 thers were exactly those of a cock. This animal never after- 

 wards had young ones Similar observations have been made 

 respectinglhe pea nen. Lady Tynte had a favourite pied pea- 

 hen, which at eight several times produced chicks. Having 

 moulted when about eleven years old, the lady and her family 

 were astonished by her displaying the feathers peculiar to the 

 other sex, and appearing like a pied peacock. In this process 

 the tail, which was like that of the cock, first appeared. In the 

 following year she moulted again, and produced similar feathers. 

 In the third year she did the same, and then had also spurs 

 resembling those of the cock. The hen never bred after this 

 change of her plumage. She is now preserved in the Leverian 

 Museum. 



