THE CHINESE PHEASANT. ICQ 



«X(--ued]ii^|y jcile, aud liy soiuu writers tins lucal variety has 

 '•■•■ii (Ifscribod as a distinct spocies under the name of 

 J' JoriiKis-ini IIS. 



iJie cliaraetei's of the puro-bred Chinese I'. tori[iiiitus were 

 given m minute detad hy the bite Mr. Goidd in his mag- 

 rnhrent IV.lio, "The Birds of Asia." They are as foUows :— 

 '' J lie niak- has the forehead lU'ep green ; erowa of the head 

 lawn C(dour glossed with green; over each eye a conspicuous 

 streak ..f bulTy white; the naked papillated skin of the (U'bits 

 and sides of the face deep scaHet or blood-red, inters])ei-sed 

 beneath the eye with a, series of very minute black feathers ; 

 liorn-like tufts on each side of the head ; tliroat and neck rich 

 deep, shining green with violet reffectious ; near the base of 

 the neck a conspicuous collar of shining white feathei's, narrow 

 before and behind, and Ijroadly dilated ac the sides ; the 

 feathers of the back of the neck black, with a narrow mark 

 of white down tlie centre of the back poi'tiou, and a large 

 lengthened mark of (ichre(.ius yt-Uow within the edge of 

 each welj near the tip; the feathers of back and scapu- 

 laries lilack at the base, with a, sti'cak of white in the 

 middle, then buff surrounded with a distinct narrow band 

 of black, to which succeeds an outer fringe of chesnut ; 

 feathers of the back black, with numerous /jigv-ag and 

 crescentic marks of IjuHfy white ; lower part of the back, 

 rump, and u]iper tail C(-iverts light green of various shades, 

 jjassing into bluish-grtn' at tlie sides, below which is a 

 mark of rufous ; breast feathers, indented at the tip, of a 

 rich reddish cliesnut, with pui-ple reflections, and each 

 bordereil witli black ; Hanks, tine buff, witli a large angular 

 spot of beautiful violet at the tip; centre of the aiidonieii 

 black, with violet reflections ; under tail coverts reddish 

 chesnut ; wing coverts silverj'-grey ; wings brown, the 

 primaries with liglit shafts, and crossed with narrow bars 

 of lio'ht buff; tlie secondaries similar, but not so regularly 

 marked a.s the p)rimaries ; tail feathers olive, fringed with 

 diifereut shades of reddish violet, and crossed at regular 



