THE IMPEYAN PHEASANT. 



(Lophophorus impeyanus.) 



This beautiful bird which is noted for 

 the wonderful color and metallic irides- 

 cence of the male's plumage, is a native 

 of the higher and colder regions of In- 

 dia. It is greatly admired by the natives 

 of India, who have given it the name 

 Monal or the bird of gold. The metal- 

 lic luster of its plumage is so very 

 marked that some authorities have been 

 led to give this bird the specific name 

 resplendens. The plumage of the males 

 of nearly all the pheasants is quite as 

 strikingly brilliant, while that of the fe- 

 male is much more somber. 



Writing of this pheasant as it is found 

 in its forest home in the Himalayas, Mr. 

 Wilson says: "The Monal is found on 

 almost every hill of any elevation, from 

 the first great ridge above the plains to 

 the limits of forest, and in the interior, 

 it is the most abundant of our game 

 birds." And another enthusiastic ob- 

 server writes : "There are few sights 

 more striking where birds are concerned, 

 than that of a grand old cock shooting 

 out horizontally from the hillside just 

 below one, glittering and flashing in the 

 golden sunlight, a gigantic rainbow- 

 tinted gem, and then dropping stone- 

 like, with closed wings into the abyss 

 below." 



When the severe weather of winter 

 sets in, the pheasants descend into the 

 forests of lower altitudes where the 

 ground is covered with a thick layer of 

 decaying leaves. Here they find an am- 

 ple supply of insect food. Though a 

 few of the older birds remain in higher 

 altitudes throughout 'the winter, the 

 majority descend to lower levels, and in 

 the spring again ascend the mountain 

 sides, as the snow and frost disappear. 



"The call of the Monal is a loud, plain- 

 tive whistle, which is often heard in the 

 forest at daybreak or toward evening. 



and occasionally at all hours of the day." 

 It is an omnivorous feeder, its food 

 consisting of grains and other seeds, in- 

 sects, fleshy roots and succulent herb- 

 age. The length of its wings, which 

 are very short for the size and weight of 

 the bird, shows the Impeyan Pheasant 

 to possess terrestrial habits. Its flights, 

 though quite rapid, are short, and 

 taken, as a rule, only when frightened. 



The Impeyan Pheasant does not seem 

 to bear a change of climate. Many at- 

 tempts to domesticate them have been 

 made in several countries. Lady Impey 

 was the first person who carried them 

 alive into Europe and there made an 

 unsuccessful attempt to naturalize them. 

 It was in recognition of her efforts, that 

 this Pheasant was given both its specific 

 and its common names. The bird of 

 our illustration died near the city of 

 Chicago, while in captivity with a num- 

 ber of related forms. 



The Impeyan is not the only pheasant 

 inhabiting that wonderful country which 

 is noted alike for its beautiful birds, its 

 beautiful flowers and for its ferocious 

 animals. India also claims the magnifi- 

 cent tragopans' or horned pheasants, of 

 which there are four or five species. The 

 males possess two fleshy growths which 

 lie, concealed by feathers, on the crown 

 above the eyes. When these growths 

 are erected, they resemble two blue 

 horns projecting from the top of the 

 head. 



The charms of all these fascinating 

 birds are only fully exhibited during the 

 breeding season. Words cannot express 

 the beauty of their "nuptial dances" 

 when they show to the female the re- 

 splendent metallic coloring of their plu- 

 mage, which varies in tint with every 

 motion of their bodies, and with the ruf- 

 fling of their feathers. 



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