540 



MRS. R. HAIG THOMAS ON 



generation the female plumage of his species, under the following 

 scheme of mating : — 



Silver $ X Swiiiboe S 



P. 1 ? X Swinhoe <? 



(1) F. 2 ? Svr. (1) (? Sw. (3) <? Sw. hyb. 



It is to be observed that the Swinhoe male transmitted the 

 pure Swinhoe plumage only to one of his male offspring. As 

 such an isolated instance, though interesting, had small value 

 without the support of other evidence, the following experiment 

 was arranged. I chose species which have mature plumage in 

 five months from hatching, so as to get quicker at the results, 

 instead of, as in the case of genncPAis, waiting eighteen months 

 for the adult plumage of F. 2. Phasianus formosios, one of the 

 species selected, is found only on the Island of Formosa ; somewhat 

 resembling P. torquatus, it differs from it in one special feature ; 

 in the cock, the collar, instead of being an even white ring 

 forming a complete circle round the neck, is formed by a deep 

 Vandyke on each side with a narrow connecting-line round the 

 back of the neck but not connected round the throat, an incomplete 

 circle. The other species, P. versicolor, the Japanese Pheasant, is 

 too well known to require description ; it has no white collar. 



Below is appended a table of the differences between the males 

 and females of the two species which might be expected to prove 

 Mendelian pairs. 



• at 

 oval 



pale 



Excitable temperament: wild, untame- 

 able. 



