THE RING-NECKED PHEASANT. 



[Phasianus torquatus.) 



The family of birds- (Phasianidae) 

 to which the Ring-necked Pheasant be- 

 longs, includes nearly one hundred 

 species, all of which, with the exception 

 of the Yucatan turkey and the wild turk- 

 eys of the United States, are natives of 

 the Old World, where more species are 

 found in Southern Asia than elsewhere. 

 To this family belongs the peacock and 

 the interesting jungle fowls from which 

 our domestic chickens have been devel- 

 oped. Many of the species of this fam- 

 ily are remarkably beautiful birds and 

 are ornamented by various peculiar de- 

 velopments of their plumage. Some of 

 these foreign species have been success- 

 fully introduced into the United States, 

 and in some localities the birds are quite 

 numerous. 



The Ring-necked Pheasant is a native 

 of China, its range extending through 

 eastern and northern China. Its name 

 refers to the definite collar of white 

 feathers upon the neck. This species 

 crosses freely with other pheasant spe- 

 cies. In England, where these Pheas- 

 ants have been introduced to a consider- 

 able extent, they cross with the common 

 pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) which 

 has also been introduced from its native 

 home in southeastern Europe and Asia 

 Minor. Mr. Darwin has said that he has 

 reason to believe that the hybrids which 

 result from the crossing of these two 

 species of pheasants are perfectly fer- 

 tile. 



The Ring-necked Pheasants have 

 been introduced and acclimated in the 

 states of California, Oregon and Wash- 

 ington, and in P>ritish Columbia. In 

 some localities of this region they have 

 become cjuitc abundant and arc shot by 

 s])ortsmen. Mr. William T Ilornaday 

 sa}'s : *'l'>om I'orlland, Oregon to Van- 

 couver the taxidermists are annually 

 called upon t<> mount scores of these 



birds, because they are so beautiful that 

 many of the sportsmen who shoot them 

 cannot consent to see their skins de- 

 stroyed." Lately, some of the eastern 

 states have introduced these pheasants. 

 Regarding the state of Ohio, Mr. Daw- 

 son says : *'The successful introduction 

 into our state of this splendid game 

 bird really marks a new era in the his- 

 tory of sports, and its advent should be 

 hailed with delight by all true sports- 

 men. ■ Quick on the wing, prolific, 

 hardy, rapid, this handsome Pheasant 

 is admirably adapted to take the place 

 of those larger native birds, the wild 

 turkey, the prairie chicken, the ruffed 

 grouse, which are no longer available to 

 us." 



In his beautiful "Monograph of the 

 Pheasants" Dr. Elliot says of the Ring- 

 necked Pheasant: "This is the common 

 species of China and is met with in 

 great numbers in the eastern parts of 

 that vast empire. * * =i^ In most parts 

 of China they keep much to the hill- 

 covers, but about Shanghai they resort 

 to the cotton-fields, and occurring in 

 large . numbers, afford excellent sport. 

 ;k * * Dj. Lamprey states that the com- 

 mon Ring-necked Pheasant constitute 

 the fourth and most abundant kind 

 found in the markets (Tien-Tsin). 

 The number of these birds that are 

 sold every winter is wonderful. It was 

 noticed that in birds apparently of the 

 same age there was frequently a great 

 disparity in size, almost giving one the 

 idea of two species, though it is not im- 

 probable that this difference may be at- 

 tributed to the dift"ercnt circumstances 

 of food and locality." Mr. Dudley E. 

 Saurin, as quoted by Dr. Elliot, says : 

 "The common Chinese Pheasant is 

 found everywhere in the north of China. 

 I am not aware how nuich farther 

 south thev are found than Shanghai ; 



