﻿378 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  from 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Gallus 
  still 
  found 
  in 
  southeastern 
  Asia. 
  Many 
  

   species 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  resplendent 
  plumage 
  and 
  wonderful 
  adaptations 
  for 
  sexual 
  rivalry 
  are 
  found 
  

   among 
  the 
  pheasants, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  Peacock, 
  Argus 
  pheasant 
  and 
  Golden 
  pheasant; 
  but 
  the 
  partridges 
  

   and 
  quails, 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  given 
  to 
  polygainy, 
  do 
  not 
  exhibit 
  the 
  spurs, 
  wattles, 
  plumes 
  and 
  brilliant 
  

   colors 
  possessed 
  by 
  the 
  pheasants. 
  Various 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  family 
  have 
  been 
  introduced 
  in 
  America, 
  

   but 
  thus 
  far 
  only 
  the 
  Ring-neck, 
  English 
  and 
  Japanese 
  pheasants 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  well 
  established. 
  The 
  

   common 
  European 
  Partridge, 
  Perdix 
  cinerea, 
  was 
  liberated 
  in 
  several 
  localities 
  in 
  New 
  

   York 
  State 
  during 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  1909, 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Hungarian 
  partridge, 
  and 
  may 
  become 
  

   acclimated 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  years. 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  Linnaeus 
  

  

  English 
  Pheasant 
  

  

  phasid'nus, 
  Gr. 
  ipacriavoi, 
  Lat. 
  phasianus, 
  the 
  bird 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  Phasis: 
  col'chicus, 
  Lat. 
  of 
  

  

  colchis, 
  the 
  land 
  of 
  the 
  Golden 
  Fleece, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  ancient 
  Greeks 
  are 
  said 
  

  

  to 
  have 
  brought 
  this 
  bird 
  

  

  Description. 
  Male: 
  Tail 
  very 
  long, 
  cuneate, 
  tapering; 
  head 
  with 
  ear 
  tufts 
  and 
  finely 
  mottled 
  

   sides; 
  head 
  and 
  neck 
  peacock 
  blue, 
  glossed 
  with 
  metallic 
  reflections 
  of 
  gi'cen, 
  bronze 
  and 
  purple; 
  

   sides 
  of 
  head 
  bare, 
  scarlet; 
  back 
  orange-brown, 
  variegated 
  with 
  dark 
  green, 
  buff 
  and 
  black; 
  rump 
  

   and 
  upper 
  tail 
  coverts 
  rufous, 
  with 
  black 
  and 
  reddish 
  variegations; 
  tail 
  olive-brown, 
  edged 
  with 
  

   purplish 
  rufous, 
  and 
  barred 
  with 
  black; 
  breast 
  glossy, 
  coppery 
  chestnut, 
  edged 
  with 
  purplish; 
  no 
  

   Tings 
  about 
  the 
  neck. 
  Length 
  36 
  inches 
  or 
  less 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  tail; 
  tail 
  up 
  to 
  

   21 
  inches; 
  extent 
  about 
  32 
  inches; 
  weight 
  about 
  3 
  pounds. 
  Feinale: 
  Much 
  smaller; 
  length 
  about 
  

   24 
  inches; 
  tail 
  12 
  inches; 
  weight 
  2 
  pounds; 
  colors 
  plain 
  blended 
  light 
  brown 
  and 
  dusky. 
  

  

  This 
  famous 
  bird 
  is 
  a 
  native 
  of 
  Asia 
  Minor, 
  Transcaucasia, 
  Turkey 
  and 
  southeastern 
  Russia 
  

   as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  the 
  Volga. 
  The 
  ancient 
  Greeks 
  and 
  Romans 
  cultivated 
  it, 
  the 
  latter 
  no 
  doubt 
  intro- 
  

   ducing 
  it 
  into 
  Britain, 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  well 
  established 
  in 
  England 
  and 
  held 
  in 
  high 
  esteem 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  

   of 
  the 
  Norman 
  Conquest. 
  Now 
  the 
  English 
  breed 
  is 
  so 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  Chinese 
  ring-necked 
  pheasant 
  

   and 
  the 
  Green 
  pheasant 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  introduced 
  into 
  Great 
  Britain 
  m 
  modern 
  times, 
  that 
  pure 
  

   blooded 
  colchicus 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  procure 
  except 
  by 
  importation 
  from 
  the 
  Orient. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  

   liberated 
  in 
  various 
  portions 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  State, 
  especially 
  on 
  Long 
  Island 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Lower 
  Hudson 
  

   valley, 
  where 
  it 
  survives 
  and 
  breeds 
  in 
  a 
  wild 
  state, 
  but 
  probably 
  will 
  never 
  thrive 
  except 
  under 
  

   special 
  protection. 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  torquatus 
  Gmelin 
  

   Ring-necked 
  Pheasant 
  

  

  iorqaa'tus, 
  Lat., 
  ringed 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks: 
  Similar 
  in 
  general 
  color 
  to 
  the 
  English 
  pheasant, 
  but 
  male 
  with 
  a 
  conspic- 
  

   uous 
  white 
  ring 
  about 
  the 
  neck; 
  top 
  of 
  head 
  more 
  greenish 
  bronze, 
  and 
  a 
  whitish 
  line 
  on 
  sides 
  of 
  

   •crown; 
  the 
  sides 
  golden 
  buff, 
  spotted 
  with 
  black; 
  the 
  upper 
  wing 
  coverts 
  pale 
  grayish 
  blue; 
  the 
  sides 
  

   of 
  the 
  rump 
  grayish 
  blue 
  ; 
  belly 
  greenish 
  black. 
  Slightly 
  smaller 
  than 
  the 
  English 
  pheasant. 
  Length 
  

   34 
  inches 
  when 
  the 
  tail 
  is 
  full 
  grown; 
  extent 
  32; 
  weight 
  2I 
  pounds 
  or 
  more. 
  

  

  This 
  bird, 
  often 
  incorrectly 
  called 
  the 
  Mongolian 
  pheasant, 
  has 
  become 
  naturalized 
  on 
  Long 
  

   Island, 
  in 
  the 
  Hudson 
  valley, 
  the 
  Genesee 
  valley, 
  and 
  the 
  lowlands 
  south 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  and 
  about 
  

   the 
  Central 
  Lakes. 
  The 
  State 
  Forest, 
  Fish 
  and 
  Game 
  Commission 
  has 
  distributed 
  birds 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  

   in 
  many 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  but 
  correspondence 
  with 
  the 
  persons 
  who 
  received 
  and 
  liberated 
  

   the 
  birds 
  indicates 
  that 
  pheasants 
  have 
  failed 
  to 
  become 
  established 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  districts 
  mentioned 
  

   ■above. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  question 
  but 
  that 
  the 
  pheasant 
  will 
  thrive 
  in 
  the 
  warmer 
  parts 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  where 
  

   the 
  snows 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  severe 
  as 
  to 
  cover 
  its 
  winter 
  food 
  supply 
  of 
  rose 
  hips, 
  wild 
  grapes, 
  thorn 
  apples, 
  

   -u-eed 
  seeds, 
  waste 
  grain, 
  etc., 
  provided 
  it 
  has 
  reasonable 
  protection 
  and 
  encouragement. 
  It 
  does 
  

   some 
  harm, 
  however, 
  to 
  newly 
  planted 
  com 
  by 
  following 
  the 
  rows 
  and 
  digging 
  up 
  the 
  seed 
  with 
  its 
  

  

  