PHA 



PHA 



The varieties of the kidney bean are very 

 numerous : the P. coccineus, scarlet kid- 

 ney b^an, is by some considered as a dis- 

 tinct species ; its twining stalks, if pro- 

 perly supported, will rise to the height 

 of twelve or fourteen feet ; the leaves are 

 smaller than those of the common gar- 

 den bean ; the flowers grow in large 

 spikes, of a deep scarlet colour ; the pods 

 are large and rough ; they are more es- 

 teemed for the table, by many people, 

 than the others. 



PHASES, in astronomy, the several ap- 

 pearances or quantities of illumination of 

 the Moon, Venus, Mercury, and the 

 other planets ; or the several manners 

 wherein they appear illuminated by the 

 Sun. With regard to the Moon, these 

 phases are very observable with the na- 

 ked eye ; by which she sometimes in- 

 creases, and sometimes wanes ; is now 

 bent into horns, and again appears as half 

 a circle. By means of a good telescope, 

 the like phases may be observed in A'e- 

 nus and Mars. Copernicus, before it was 

 possible to ascertain the fact, by means of 

 glasses, foretold that it would, at some 

 period or other, be ascertained, that Ve- 

 nus underwent all the changes to which 

 the moon was subject. Galileo was the 

 first person, who, by actual observation, 

 conn' rmed the truth of Copernicus's theo- 

 ry. 



PHASIANUS, the pheasant, in natural 

 history, a genus of birds of the order Gal- 

 Jinx. ' Generic character : bill short, 

 strong, and convex ; head covered in 

 some degree with carunculated flesh ; 

 legs generally with spurs. There are ten 

 species. 



P. gallus, or the wild pheasant, inha- 

 bits the forests of India, and has been 

 seen, indeed, by navigators in almost all 

 the Indian and South Sea islands. This 

 is the unquestionable origin of all the do- 

 mestic varieties throughout Europe, of 

 which we shall notice the following. 



P. gallus, or the dunghill cock. The 

 most interesting animal under this varie- 

 ty is the game cock, which is found in 

 great perfection of vigour and courage in 

 England, and the irascibility and jealousy 

 of which has, in almost all ages, occasion- 

 ed it to be employed in the sanguinary 

 diversion of cock-fighting. This practice 

 is carried to a great extent, even among 

 the mild inhabitants of China and India, 

 whose manners, or principles, might be 

 conceived in the highest state of repug- 

 nance to it. The polished civilization of 

 the Athenians did not prevent their en- 

 gaging in it with considerable ardour, 



and the Romans encouraged it with all 

 that fondness which might be expected 

 from a nation established by rapine, and 

 as it were educated in blood. From them 

 it was introduced into England, where it 

 has occasionally been patronized by mo- 

 narchs, and is still indulged in both by 

 lords and plebians with considerable fre 

 quency, though, probably, not to such a 

 degree as in some former periods. The 

 appearance of this animal, when under 

 the agitation of strong feeling, is highly 

 interesting, indicating boldness, freedom, 

 and energy, of a very superior character; 

 and the beauty of his plumage, and grace- 

 fulness of his movements, combine 

 strongly to heighten the effect. The fe- 

 male is remarkable for great fecundity, 

 and for the most exquisite parental fond- 

 ness and sensibilities ; the poets of almost 

 every age and nation having introduced 

 it as the most expressive image of mater- 

 nal duty and tenderness. It is finely ob- 

 served, by the great French naturalist, 

 that " dull and tasteless as the business of 

 incubation may be thought by us, nature 

 may have mad'e it a state of extraordina- 

 ry joy, connecting, probably, sensations 

 of delight with whatever relates to the 

 continuance of her offspring." In some 

 counti'ies, and particularly in Egypt, 

 chickens are produced from eggs without 

 the assistance of the parent bird. The 

 eggs are enclosed in ovens heated with 

 extreme care and precision, and turned 

 at certain intervals, and thus hundreds, 

 and even thousands, are annually produc- 

 ed in one establishment ; but chickens, 

 thus produced, are stated to be rarely so 

 vigorous as those hatched in the natural 

 mode. See Aves, Plate XII. fig. 1 



P. colchicus, the pheasant. These birds 

 are found in almost every territory of the 

 old continent ; but are not to be met with 

 in America. Their wings, from their 

 shortness, are ill calculated to sustain a 

 long flight. They resemble the partridge 

 in breeding on the ground, and lay from 

 twelve to fifteen eggs. In many parts of 

 this kingdom they have been introduced 

 with great success, exhibiting an interest- 

 ing and beautiful object to the admirer of 

 nature, and furnishing variety to the pur- 

 suits of the sportsman, as well as to the 

 luxuries of the table. Pheasants prefer- 

 low woods bordering upon valleys, are 

 extremely shy, and never associate but 

 in the spring. The hen pheasant has 

 been occasionally discovered with the 

 feathers almost universally peculiar to 

 the male ; and, indeed, this circumstance 

 takes place in several other genera of 



