200 PHEASANTS FOB COVEBTS AND AVIARIES. 



was brought to the same place, dead but uninjured, and 

 evidently but very recently killed. The golden brilliancy of 

 this bird's plumage is probably not exceeded by any object in 

 nature, and is quite equal in lustre to the most brilliant 

 markings of the humming-birds, or the most highly burnished 

 metal. This splendid colouring covers the whole body of the 

 bird, merely shaded with a little coppered-red about the tips 

 and margins of the feathers, so as to show the lance-head 

 form of the feathers. This specimen was taken on board the 

 flagship Independence and preserved. 



" 'The specimen of the other species that I saw was shot 

 by Mr. Heine, who made a very beautiful painting of it. The 

 two birds are found in the same localities, and seem to be 

 similar in habits. 



" ' The Japanese system of agriculture, although very 

 minute, and appropriating all available land to some useful 

 purpose, yet affords abundant shelter for the native fauna. 

 Scarcely any land is tilled except such as can be watered, so 

 that the tops of hills and large portions of mountainous and 

 precipitous places are appropriated to the growth of timber, 

 or left covered with the primitive forest. These wooded 

 districts afford shelter for wild hogs, foxes, and raccoons (the 

 skins of which were seen), as well as for the pheasants; and 

 they all descend in turn to plunder the crops, or steal the 

 chickens in the valleys. During the first part of our stay at 

 Simoda the cultivated fields afforded no food for the pheasants. 

 The natives told us there were plenty in the hills ; but no one 

 was willing to undertake to show them, and several rambles 

 through the bushes where these birds were supposed to feed 

 ended in disappointment. Only once I had a glimpse of a 

 brood of young ones near a hut in the mountains, but they 

 immediately disappeared by running very rapidly. Perhaps 

 one reason of our want of success is to be found in the fact 

 that the wheat was ripe, and partially harvested before we left 

 (June 24) , so that during the time of our efforts they were 

 enabled to fill their crops occasionally from the wheatfields. 



