GOLDEN PHEASANT 21 



We now know that it has never been observed in a wild state, and that its 

 occurrence in captivity is altogether casual and so far inexplicable. It parallels closely 

 the occurrence of the black-shouldered peacock. 



I have observed the following details in regard to this sport or mutation. Chicks 

 of this form may appear without warning in a brood of otherwise normal chicks of 

 normal Golden parents and grandparents. They may appear singly, as one in a brood 

 of tw^elve, while I have known as high a number as four in ten. The following year the 

 normal parents may produce nothing but normal chicks, or again a few Black-throated 

 Goldens may be hatched. The eggs from which these birds emerged were, in several 

 cases in which I marked the shells, laid before and after eggs which produced normal 

 chicks. The eggs are in no way distinguishable from the others. 



The chicks, however, are very distinct in colour, and both the juvenile and the adult 

 male and female plumages are characteristic, and in the majority of cases constant in 

 character. 



Chick in Down. — Of a general dark seal brown, sometimes including the face; 

 chin, throat and a crescent extending upward halfway around the neck, reaching to the 

 ear-coverts creamy yellow ; supraloral line from bill to eye yellow, and this sometimes 

 extends narrowly across the forehead and encircles the eyes ; small spot back of eye 

 yellowish buff ; iris, legs and feet dark brown. 



Juvenile. — In general like the corresponding plumage of normal young Goldens, 

 but a great deal darker ; all the buffs are replaced by dark rufous, the same above and 

 below. So we see a dull reddish-brown bird barred everywhere with black, more heavily 

 and thickly on the dorsal surface. The chin and throat are white. 



First Year Plumage. — Owing to the general rufous hue, the changes in this 

 plumage are not nearly as well marked as in normal Goldens. The bird is intensely 

 melanistic and erythristic. 



Adult Male. — While there is a certain amount of variation, yet on the whole the 

 birds of this strange mutation are remarkably uniform. The dorsal plumage of the 

 general average differs not at all from normal Goldens, except that the wing-coverts are 

 slightly darker and the pale buff and rufous outer margins to the flight-feathers are 

 lacking or reduced to an indistinct mottling. The scarlet upper tail-coverts are decidedly 

 of a darker tone, as is the general colour of the scarlet ventral surface. The iris, bill, 

 legs and feet all share in this melanism, and show varying shades of dark yellow, the 

 feet being sometimes quite black. The most important character, however, is the colour 

 of the lores, face, chin, throat and upper breast. These regions are, on the whole, a 

 uniform smoky black, with the exception of the ear-coverts, which are silvery. Some of 

 the throat feathers have faint light shafts. This black dies out on the scarlet breast in 

 the form of more or less distinct terminal bands. In the transition zone between the 

 black and the scarlet glints of impure golden yellow are quite abundant. This anterior 

 ventral area is the character by which this mutation is chiefly marked, and which sets it 

 apart most trenchantly from the normal Golden. 



