102



Mr. Frank Finn,



VARIATION IN GOLD AND SILVER PHEASANTS.


By Frank Finn, B.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


On account of the peculiar position they occupy among

domestic birds as species of recent domestication and maintained

in limited numbers for ornament only, the Gold and Silver

Pheasants {Chrysolophuspictus and Gennceus nycthemerus ) offer an

interesting field for enquiry to the student of variation.


That the former species, independently of the taint of

Amherst ( Chrysolophus amherstitz) blood which has crept in of

late years, varies considerably in the depth of tint of the golden

portions of its plumage is patent to everyone ; but this variation

is due, to some extent at any rate, I believe, to the conditions

under which the individual has moulted, though not in every

case.


In any case, it is interesting to note that only the

yellow and orange tints are affected, the rest of the plumage

remaining normal. This is well exemplified in a specimen in the

British Museum collection, in which the ruff even, is quite a straw-

colour, while the breast is as red as in perfect specimens. This

variation, to whatever cause due, is thus analogous to the “ duck¬

wing ” forms of the domestic cock, in which the red portions of

the typical Jungle Fowl ( Galius gallus) plumage are replaced by

various shades of yellow or by white, the black underparts and

tail retaining their colour.


I have, however, once seen a cock—a common rough-bred

bird in the Calcutta Market,—which in addition to cream-

coloured upper parts, had the under surface and tail slate-

coloured, all tints being thus weakened together.


To return to the Golden Pheasant ; a well-marked

“sport” is known to occur in the species in captivity in the

form Chrysolophus obscurus, which is regarded by Messrs.

Tegetmeier and Ogilvie-Grant as a variet}' only. In this bird

the throat and face are black or blackish instead of buff, the

scapulars blackish instead of crimson, and the centre-tail-

feathers barred with brown and black like the lateral pairs,

instead of being spotted with brown on a black ground. The type

of this form, in the British Museum collection, has all the



