I3P


and has been received alive by the Zoological Society. It

is characterised by some conspicuous white feathers on the

wings. In these days of rare importations one never knows what

may turn up in the bird line ; let us hope that ere long /*.

principalis, as well as numerous others, which are yet unknown

to us in a living state, may be procurable in the English market.


The giant of the race, and one of the most attractive, is

Reeve's, or the Bar-tailed Pheasant (/*. reevesii), a species which

does not inter-breed with its congeners so readily as do other

true Pheasants; and the h3^brids produced from Reeve's and any

other Pheasants are said to be quite sterile. The Bar-tailed

Pheasant is therefore in all probability, not merely specifically,

but generically distinct from the true Pheasants, although still

included in the genus Phasianiis by most authors. A majestic

bird this truly is, measuring some six feet or more in total length,

and with plumage chiefly of a pure golden colour, each feather

being edged with black, as in a perfectly marked " golden

spangled " fowl. It is now comparatively easy to obtain these

grand birds in this country, as they have been bred in aviaries

by several amateurs ; and on some estates, both in England

and Scotland, have been introduced into the coverts. They

seem to succeed best amongst the wild rocky scenery of

Scotland, which must somewhat resemble the mountainous

districts of China in which the species is found in a wild state.


{To be continued).



REVIEWS.


The "-Feathered World'" Spring Ntunber.


Probably five-sixths of the members of the Avicultural

Society are subscribers to the Feathered World, so that a review

of the Spring number of that paper is really a work of super-

erogation — but for the benefit of the remaining sixth we wish to

call attention to this excellent three-pennyworth. We can only

mention the articles and illustrations which are of special

interest to aviculturists, but doubtless the two coloured plates,,

and other " features," will be highl}^ appreciated by the poultry

and pigeon people.


There is an article by Dr. Butler on " Some imported

Finches of the genus Spennophila,'" which treats of the White-

throated Finch, the Bluish Finch, the Lined Finch, the Guttural

Finch, and the Reddish Finch. This is accompanied by a really



