THE GOLDEN PHEASANT. 205 



over a tippet formed of broad flat feathers, which are of a- 

 deep orange colourj with dark blue bars across the tips ; these- 

 latter form, when the feathers are in position, a series of 

 horizontal lines across the tippet. During the courtship of 

 the female this collar or tippet is brought over to the side- 

 nearest the hen, as shown in the background of the- 

 engraving of this species; the late Mr. T. W. Wood paid 

 more attention to the amatory displays of birds than any other- 

 writer. Respecting that of the Golden Pheasant he writes r 

 " Not the least remarkable example of the lateral mode of 

 display during courtship is that of the Golden Pheasant,, 

 whose elegant form and brilliant colouring are so well known 

 in this country. The male runs very playfully after the- 

 female, and placing himself in front of her, quickly expands- 

 his collar, bringing nearly the whole of it round to the side- 

 where it is to be exhibited, and thereby presenting to view a 

 flat disc of bright orange-red, banded with perfect regularity 

 by blue-back semicircles ; the hen, on seeing this, frequently 

 runs away pursued by her would-be mate, who generally 

 finds himself placed with his other side towards her, and the 

 collar is accordingly shown on that side. At the moment the- 

 full expansion of the collar t-akes place, the bird utters a very 

 snake-like hiss, which, according to our notions, would not be- 

 very fascinating as a love-song ; the body is very much dis- 

 torted, as is the case with the true pheasants, but the tail is- 

 not spread so much, as the curved, roof-like shape prevents its- 

 forming a flat surface. Slight breaks would occur in the 

 black stripes of the collar when expanded, were it not that 

 each feather has a second black stripe which is so placed as- 

 efEectually to prevent this." 



Below the tippet on the lower part of the neck the feathers 

 are deep-green margined with velvet black ; below this again 

 are the scapular feathers of a dark crimson ; the back and 

 rump are golden yellow ; the tail itself is very long, the two- 

 longest central feathers are covered with small irregular- 

 circles of light-brown on a dark ground, giving them a. 



