112 WILD LIFE IN CHINA. 



the predominance of this colour that the name is given. 

 Another species of the same genus is /. Sinensis, which is 

 very plentiful somewhat farther north, in Shensi, etc. where 

 it loves the shelter of bamboos especially if found on the 

 hillsides. Harking back to the south again, we come to 

 Yunnan and S.W. China generally, and there we light upon 

 a bird which though closely allied to the pheasants is not 

 really one, Pavo tnuticus, the Burmese pea-fowl, with the 

 gorgeous plumage, crest, tail, eyes, and all. Then there are 

 the monals — genus Lophophonis — of which one writer says, 

 "There are few sights more striking, where birds are 

 concerned, than that of a grand old cock (of this kind) 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." It is represented in China by the L. LJuiysii 

 of Szechwan, Yunnan, and Kweichow. So-called "eared 

 pheasants" are represented by three species. The first of these 

 is Crossoptihim Manchiiricum, a gentle, sociable bird found 

 on the hills of Pechili and in other parts of N. China. Hardy 

 enough to bear the cold of a northern climate, these birds 

 cannot boast of much of the gorgeousness lavished on their 

 cousins. They are, in fact, somewhat dowdy in comparison, 

 black, brown, and dirty white forming the protective covering 

 with which Nature has supplied them. C. Tihetanum is 

 entirely white except for the top of the head. Here again 

 in all probability the great artist had good reason for showing 

 the white feather in its literal sense. The third species, 

 C. aiiritum, of western China generally is drawn upon by 

 Chinese mandarins for feathers for their official hats. Of the 

 genus Piicrasia, the crested pheasants, Pere David describes 

 two species, P. Xanthospila, found living in pairs or singly 

 in north-western China and brought regularly to the Peking 

 market, an excellent game bird, and P. Darwini from the 

 two provinces directly south of us, Chekiang and Fukien. 



Properly speaking, the golden pheasant, to which we nov/ 

 come, is not one of the true pheasants, and is not scientifically 

 included with them but with the Reeves and some others in the 

 genus Thamnalea or Chrysolophiis. T. picta or C. picta is 

 the choice allowed us in the case of the classical name of 

 that extremely beautiful Chinese bird. Though unknown in 

 this neighbourhood, the golden pheasant is very widely 

 distributed, being met with from S. W. China right across to 

 Korea or, as I suppose we should now call it, Chosen. The 

 golden crest and back, the brilliant red of the breast and 

 under parts, and the artistically mottled browns of the superb 

 tail of this species mark it out even from amongst its relatives 

 as a bird of striking beauty. The hens, as is the case with 



