Vol. xiv.] 



3G 



The Hon. Walter Rothschild exhibited two pheasants 

 killed in the United States, together with a series of Asiatic 

 pheasants, and made the following remarks about them : — 



" The two pheasants killed in the United States are exhibited 

 to illustrate the only two varieties of Pheasant acclimatized 

 there. Some weeks ago Mr. Tegetmeier, when alluding to 

 my introduction of Phasianus mongolicus into England, said 

 that it had also been introduced into America. I wrote and 

 explained that the Ring-necked Pheasant [Phasianus tor- 

 quatus) was there called Mongolian Pheasant and that the true 

 P. mongolicus had not yet been introduced into the United 

 States. Mr. Tegetmeier being still unconvinced, I sent 

 to the United States for specimens as well as for further 

 information. As I am assured the two birds I exhibit to- 

 night, viz. an English Mongrel Pheasant and a Ring-necked 

 Phasianus torquatus, are the only two varieties of Pheasant 

 which have been introduced and turned down in the United 

 States, my statement is fully confirmed. This discussion 

 leads up to another question, namely, the validity of the various 

 so-called species of the genus Phasianus. Some ornithologists 

 consider them all as excellent species, whilst others, chiefly 

 because among our half-tame English Pheasants birds crop 

 up occasionally almost identical with some of the wild races 

 other than P. colchicus and P. torquatus, consider them all 

 as freaks or aberrations. As usual, the truth lies halfway 

 between, and I have brought up a series of specimens to 

 illustrate my remarks. Mr. Grant has enumerated the fol- 

 lowing 23 species and subspecies of Phasianus in vol. xxii. of 

 the ' Catalogue of Birds } : — 



Phasianus colchicus. 



, subsp. talischensis. 



persicus. 



principalis. 



zerafshanicus. 



shawi. 



tarimensis. 



chrysomelas. 



mongolicus. 



, subsp. semitorquatus. 



elegans. 



vlangali. 



Phasianus strauchi. 



decollatus. 



torquatus. 



satscheunensis. 



formosanus. 



versicolor, 



ellioti. 



hurnise. 



scemmerringi. 



, subsp. scintillans. 



reevesi. 



