370 Animal 
the hens of both species exhibit the plain 
zebra-barred plumage of black and brown 
‘so well rendered by the camera. The 
Amherst hen, however, is distinguishable 
by a patch of bare livid-coloured skin which 
surrounds the eye, and by her grey legs, 
those of the golden pheasant hen being pale 
yellow; while the golden hen is decidedly 
smaller and more yellowish in tone. Young 
cock golden pheasants have this barred-brown 
plumage at first, but during their first year 
their eyes become yellow—those of the hens 
remaining dark—and they also acquire a 
wash of red on the crown and lower back. 
They are thus early distinguishable, 
they do not 
assume 
their full 
plumage 
till their 
second year. 
At the time 
of writing 
this (April), 
there are 
three young 
males in the 
transition 
state in the 
fine new 
‘aviary on 
the canal 
bank in the 
London 
Zoological 
Gardens, 
where also 
an adult male is shown. This bird, however, 
is not so fine a specimen as the one illus- 
trated, which inhabits one of the com- 
partments of the new Hastern Pheasantry. 
This is a nearly perfect example of the 
species, and much delights visitors by his 
frequent display of his plumage to the hens 
confined with him. In this display the 
golden pheasant shows much more judgment 
than the peacock, which frequently turns 
his back to the hen, while the present bird 
is always careful to keep his beauties well 
before her eyes whichever way she may 
turn. 
but 
io, PLAISS 
cee eee WINEORS 
Life 
EVERYONE will be able to recognise from the 
photograph the close relation- 
ship of this bird (Phasianus 
versicolor) to the common 
pheasant; but it shows considerable differences 
in colour, the whole of the under-parts being 
of a dark metallic green, while the flat of 
the wing and the lower part of the back 
are French-grey as in the Ring-necked 
Pheasant (P. torquatus) of China. The hen 
of the Japanese species is darker than 
that of the common pheasant, the black 
markings of the plumage being more pro- 
nounced, as may be seen in the fine specimens 
exhibited in the Northern Pheasantry in the 
Zoologi- 
cal Gar- 
dens. This 
species pro- 
duces very 
fine hybrids 
with the 
common 
pheasants 
of our cov- 
erts, the 
cross-bred 
birds ex- 
hibiting a 
splendid 
gloss on 
their plu- 
mage. As 
1s com- 
monly the 
case with 
crosses be- 
tween such nearly-allied species, the hybrids 
are quite fertile. 
Japanese 
Pheasant. 
PHEASANT. 
Wa 
In this species (Genneus swinhoed), a native 
of Formosa, we see a distinct 
difference in type. It belongs 
to the Kaleege group, of which 
the well-known Silver Pheasant (Genneus 
nycthemerws) is a more familiar form. These 
birds are not suitable for the covert, but 
they do well in aviaries. Swinhoe’s Pheasant 
has a very remarkable and beautiful plumage, 
the chief colour being black with tippings 
Swinhoe’s 
Pheasant. 
