C H A P T E R X. 



J'HEASANTS ADAPTED TO THE COVERT. 



THE COMMON PHEASANT [FRASIAXCS 

 COLCHICI'S). 



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! 



j HE ])lieas:nits wliich are lle^t ailapted to the coverts 

 II Eno-laud^ the United States of America, Australia, 

 md otlier temiierate climates, are undoubtedly those 

 belono- to the i-estricted u-enus PhciKinnus^ or, 



t as so many term them, the true pheasants. Formerly 

 there was hut one distinct species or i-aee known in 

 Europe, that which is named the P. co/c/i/c^.s-, from its having 

 being received from the lianks of the Eiver Colchis in Asia 

 ^linoi'. This was followed by the ring-necked I'. ioninKtus 

 from China, and subsef[uently by the f rrrsiciilor from 

 Jajian. These were originally regarded by naturalists as 

 perfectly distinct species, but it is now known that they bi-eed 

 freel}' with one another, and that the offspring are perfectly 

 fertile, however intimately they are interljred. The late 

 Henry Seebohm, who paid great attention to the birds nf 

 this group, writing in the Ihis for lSy7, said : 



" ^j'he fact that all ti'iie pheasants interbreed freely with 

 each (jther and produce fertile ofl'spring, may be accepteil as 

 absi.iliite proof that they are only sub-s]iecitically distinct 

 from each ether. Like all other sub-species, they only exist 

 upon sufferance. The local i-aces appear to be distinct 

 enough, but they <-mly retain their distinctive character as 

 J(_ini' as they ai'e isolated from each other. '{'\w moment thev 



