PHOTOGRAVURE 59 



HAUNTS OF ELLIOT'S PHEASANT 



High up on the semi-bare mountain sides, most elaborate and ancient Chinese graves are occasionally 

 seen, beautifully carven, yet fitting harmoniously into their setting. One evening I saw a cock Elliot 

 Pheasant make his way to the top stone of a graceful grave balustrade. After preening his plumage in the 

 failing light, the bird hopped down and settled for the night between two carven blocks. Curiously enough, 

 he roosted head inward, tail hanging down outside facing the slope, and, to my way of thinking, this was a 

 great mistake, for any marten or other marauder could cut off the bird's only way of escape. However, the 

 pheasant doubtless had his own good reasons for his reversed position. As I slipped away, the grave was 

 beginning to be silvered by the moon, and I left the living bird and the carven phoenix side by side. 



