C H A P T K R XII 



PHEASANTS ADAPTED TO THE COVERT 

 (CONTINUED). 



THE JAPANESE PP HAS ANT [PHASLINUS 

 YEESICOLOB). 



if. ||ft AP A N, among' tlie nimierous objects of interest with 



which it has furnished Eiu-ope, has snpplied u.s 

 S-^. with the most gorgeous of the true pheasants — 

 P vpr.^icdlor. It is (hmljtful, indeed, whether any of 

 ^y'* tJie gallinaceous group, magnificent as many of them 

 y are, can surpass this bird in resplendent brilliancy. 



'I'he wonderful dark grass green of the breast, that no 

 painter can etpia], the da,rk blue of the neck, and the Inalliant 

 scarlet of the face, taken together, constitute one of the most 

 effective combinations nf colour to be found in the whole 

 class of birds. 'IMiis splendid addition to the faunar of (.{reat 

 Britain was C|uite unknown in a living state in Europe sixty 

 years since. It was described by Vieillot in his ^Tiilenr drs 

 (JisedK.r in lS25andby 'i'emminck in I80O. In 1 S40 a few 

 birds were ))rouglit to Amsterdam from Japan. (_)f these a 

 pair passed into the possession of the Earl of Derby. Of this 

 pair the female died, and the breed was established by cross- 

 ing the male with several females of the ordinary species, and 

 then pairing the half-bred progeny with the old male, and 

 continuing the breeding back until the offspring were no 

 longer cajjable of being distinguished from the original liird. 

 At the death of the l"]arl of IJerby the Knowsley collection 



