176 ani3[ial? in .11enager1e>. 



The Silver Pheasant. 



Xycthemerus argentatus, Sw. 



Phasianus Xycthemerus, Linn., Auctorum. Faisan noir et blanc, 

 Buffon, PL Enl. pi. 123. male, 124. female. Black and white 

 Pheasant, Edwards, -pi. 66. Pencilled Pheasant, Lath. Silver 

 Pheasant, Zool. Gard. ii. pi. at p. 63. 



The silver pheasant is, perhaps, a more elegant, al- 

 though certainly a less showy, species than the last, with 

 which it has been long domesticated in our aviaries and 

 preserves. From being a native of the wotp northern 

 provinces of China, its constitution is more Lardy, and 

 it is found to breed much easier with us, than the golden 

 species ; so much so, indeed, that Mr. Bennett is of 

 opinion '^ it may be reduced to a state of domestication 

 almost equal to that of the common fowl :" he further 

 adds, — '' it thrives even better in domestication than the 

 common pheasant, and breeds with tolerable facility; so 

 that it might, in all probability, be readily propagated in 

 the open country. "We believe that this has been in 

 some instances attempted with success." * 



The size of the male is about that of the golden 

 species, and the tails of both are equally long. The bill 

 and irides are yellow ; but the legs are red, and armed 

 with a white spur: the sides of the head are a bare, 

 warted, crimson skin, capable of distention ; it is pro- 

 longed above the eyes in the shape of a comb, and falls 

 on each side of the mouth so as to form two wattles : 

 on the head is a long pendent crest of loose webbed 

 feathers of a deep purple: all the upper plumage is 

 white ; each feather being m^arked, in the most elegant 

 manner, with delicate undulated Unes running parallel 

 to the margin : this forms a beautiful contrast to the 

 under plumage of the neck and body, which is of a 

 uniform purplish black : the tail is marked liice the 

 feathers of the back, excepting the two middle pair, 

 which are plain white. 



The female differs very considerably from the male. 



* Zoo). Gardens, ii. 64. 



