THE GOLDEN PHEASANT. 467 



are oaken-brown changing to purple on the edge of the outer web, and barred with jetty-black 

 on the outer web and brown on the inner. The breast and front of the abdomen are golden-red 

 with purple reflections, and diversified by the black edge of each feather ; the rest of the 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts are blackish brown. In total length the full-grown male 

 Pheasant is about three feet. Tlie female is much more sober in her colors and less in size 

 than her mate, her body being of a pale yellow-brown, and her length only some two feet. 



The gorgeous bird which is now known by the name of Reeves' Pheasant, but which 

 has undergone so many changes of title, is a native of Surinagur and Northern China. 



It is a truly remarkable bird, for although its body does not surpass the ordinary Pheasant 

 in size, the total length of a full-grown male will often exceed eight feet, owing to the very great 

 develoijment of the two central tail-feathers, which alone will measure six and seven feet in 

 length, and are very wide at the base. This species has been brought alive to foreign countries 

 and placed in the Zoological Gardens and aviaries, where it thi'ove tolerably well ; and was 

 sufficiently hardy to warrant a hope that it might be acclimatized to moderate climates. Its habits 

 in a wild state are little known, but those specimens which have been kept in captivity behaved 

 much like the ordinary Pheasant. Although so splendid and liighly colored a bird, it inhabits 

 very cold regions, the mountains of Surinagur being covered with snow. In that country it is 

 known by the appropriate name of Doomdurour or Long-tail. 



No amount of artificial coloring could give the full effect of the gorgeous and ever- 

 changing beauty which adorns the plumage of this magnificent bird ; while the simple black 

 and white of an engraving gives but a very faint notion of its real magnificence. The 

 absence of colors must, therefore, be faintly supplied with a brief description in words. 



The head is white, except a patch of light scai'let naked skin around the eyes, edged by a 

 band of black which runs over the forehead, under the cliin, and is rather broader over the 

 ear-coverts. The neck is also broadly collared with white. The back of the neck, and the 

 . back itself are covered with shining scale-like feathers, each being a light golden-yellow and 

 edged at the extremity by a band of deep velvety-black, thus producing an extremely rich 

 appearance. The feathers of the breast and abdomen are snowy-white, banded and tipped 

 with the same velvety-black as those of the upper parts with the exception of the middle of 

 the breast and abdomen, which are deep black, and the under tail-coverts, which are also black 

 covered with golden-yellow spots. Tlie two central feathers of the tail are delicate gray, 

 covered with numerous ti'ans verse and rather curved bands of rich dark brown, edged with a 

 lighter tint of the same color. In one of these feathers, only four feet in length, ]\Ir. Tem- 

 minck counted forty-seven bands. The remaining feathers of the tail are grayish-white, also 

 profusely barred with deep brown, and passing into chestnut at their edges. They can be 

 folded over each other, and they appear very narrow. 



Two very lovely birds are shown in the next illustrations, one glowing like the sun in the 

 full radiance of gold and crimson, and the other shining like the moon with a soft silvery 

 lustre, not so splendid, but even more pleasing. 



The Golden Pheasant is a native of China, where it is a great favorite, not only for its 

 splendid plumage and elegant form, but for the excellence of its flesh, which is said to surpass 

 in delicacy even that of the common Pheasant. 



For the purposes of the table, however, it is hardly likely to come into general use, as there 

 are great difficulties in the way of breeding it in sufficient number, and one feels a natural 

 sensation of repugnance to the killing of so beautiful a bird merely for the sake of eating it. 

 As it is a tolerably hardy bird, liearing confinement well, and breeding freely, it has been 

 turned out into preserves with the common Pheasant, but as yet without sufficient success to 

 warrant the continuation of the experiments. 



This bird, together with another which will be briefiy mentioned, is remarkable for the 

 large ruff of broad squared feathers which folds round its neck, as well as for the finely devel- 

 oped crest. This crest is of rich golden-yellow with a tinge of carmine. The feathers of the 

 ruff are squared, and disposed in a scale-like fashion ; their color is rich orange edged with 



