226 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



in the forest will at once take wing, but in the open field usually walk or run to 

 cover. They utter, when flushed, a succession of shrill whistles, and, on alighting, 

 commence their plaintive call. They alight often in trees, and remain motionless, 

 sometimes permitting a sufficiently near approach to be killed with a shot-gun. They 

 feed on grubs or maggots, which they find under leaves, etc., and pass a great part of 

 their time digging In the ground with their powerful bills. The flesh is delicate, simi- 

 lar to the turkey's, being especially well flavored in autumn and winter. Great num- 

 bers are killed for their skins, and in some places they have been almost exterminated 

 in order to satisfy this pernicious demand of fashion in civilized lands. They breed 

 at high elevations (7,000 to 12,000 feet), make little or no nest, and the eggs, four to 



FIG. 108. Crossoptilon mantchuricum, eared-pheasant. 



six in number, are a dull white, speckled with reddish-brown. The sexes are entirely 

 unlike in plumage, the female having none of the brilliant colors so characteristic of 

 the male. The cocks weigh from four pounds six ounces to five pounds and a half ; 

 the females a little less. The crests of all the species of X/ophophorus are different, 

 that of the impeyan having the shafts bare of webs at the base, with metallic green 

 spatules at the tips. L. Vhuysii has a full, lengthened crest, metallic green with 

 purple reflections ; but L. sclateri has the top of the head covered with short, curly, 

 recurved, green- feathers. All of the species have the back of the neck brilliant me- 

 tallic red, extending on to the back on the two last named, but changing in L. impey- 

 anus in certain lights to a golden yellow. 



The eared-pheasants of the genus Crossoptilon are four in number, and the females 

 only differ from the males by wanting spurs. They receive their trivial name from 



