THE CHINE^^E PHEASANT. 173 



<it South America, often, indeed, calling- at Rio, and then 

 struck strain-lit away for the Cape of Good Hope, aided l)y the 

 return trade wind. It was on the return from India that the 

 Island of St. Helena was visited, and letters from Kni^'land 

 to the island went via the (.'a]ie. In these circumstances, 

 the introduction of a Colchian plieasant to the ishiud is 

 exceedingly improbable, and that of a, Japanese bird out of 

 the question. 



With regard to the alteration in plnniage produced 

 by an exjiosure to these new conditions fur o7-! years, it 

 must be confessed that they are remarkably lusigniticaut. 

 There is the same glossy, shining grei-n of the head and neck, 

 the white ring- completely surrounding the neck, the ]iale 

 greenish tail and wing coverts, but the breast and Hanks are 

 less distinctly spangled, the under ])a.rts being of a more 

 uniform red. 



The slight change in the plumage is doubtless owing to 

 the influence of a change of climate acting tliKiugh many 

 generations, added, perlia]>s, by a change of diet. We are 

 informed hj ^\r. J. English Torbett tliat the ri|:)e seeds of 

 the Calln irtliiopica, so common as a greenhouse plant 

 in this country, are nmch sought after by the pheasants 

 in St. Helena, and that it forms a lai-ge jioi-tion of their 

 food. 



Closelv allied to the ordinary Chinese ]iheasant is a bird 

 which has been described as a distinct species by Consul 

 Swiuhoe, under the title of the Kingless Chinese I'heasaut 

 [P- (lerollafi(N). It was obtained by him :it Chung-king-foo, 

 in Szecliueii, and a sotnewdiat similar bird was procured 

 by Pere David, at Moupin, near the Thilietaii buuiidary. i 

 cannot regard these birds as anything nioi-e than mere local 

 varieties of the ordinary Chinese species, and must refer 

 those who wish to trace the slight distinctions between them 

 to Mr. EUini's " Phasianida-," in which they are figured. In 

 the same nrignilicent folio will be bmnd engraYings (if the 

 Yarkand I'iieasaut (F. in.^i'inis) , and Shaw's I'heasaiit 



