ORDER GALLING. 235 



are very fond of insects, and this kind of food is so necessary 

 for them, that the want of it produces numerous maladies. 



The flesh of these birds is flavoured like that of the common 

 pheasant ; it is yellowish, as are also the bones. 



The hen begins to lay sooner in spring than the common 

 pheasant, often as early as the month of March. The season 

 of reproduction commences in February. When the painted 

 pheasants are closely confined, they pay but little attention 

 to their brood ; but, at liberty, or in a vast enclosure, they 

 display much solicitude for their young. 



The young differ much from the old in the colours of the 

 plumage. In the first year they are yellowish -grey, striped 

 transversely with brown ; in the second, the males may be 

 distinguished from the females by their deeper hue. It is 

 not until the third year that the male is clothed with his bril- 

 liant plumage. Like other pheasants, the old female some- 

 times assumes the livery of the male, but such changes 

 are rare. 



The eggs of the painted pheasant resemble those of the 

 pintado. They are smaller in proportion than those of the 

 common hen, and redder than those of our pheasants. 



The painted pheasant is a native of China, where it bears 

 the name of Kinki. This species would in all probability 

 be more common in Europe were it brought up in a less con- 

 fined state. After a certain time these birds should have 

 sufficient liberty, and be exposed to the inclemency of the 

 weather even in winter. They would thus become more 

 hardy, and capable of enduring the cold of our climates. The 

 trial has been made in Germany with great success. The 

 opposite figure is of Phasianus Diardi, a full description of 

 which is in the text. Of its habits nothing is known. 



Of the Argus Pheasant, M. Temminck has made a dis, 

 tinct genus under the name of Argus. We shall lay his 

 generic characters before the readers. 



The bill is of the length of the head, compressed, and 



