THE JAPANESE PHEASANT 181 



Jajian. All naturalists, liowever, are not of Mr. (icmld's 

 opinion. 'I'lie latu iMr. J51yth intV)rHied nio that V i-irsii-nliir 

 and P tiirijaiitus kept tliejiiselves distinct m two neiL;'ld)ouriug 

 C(jpses at Lord Craven's, not uitei'niixini;;, altlioui^h at a 

 couiparativel^f short distance from each otlier, and th;i,t lie 

 believed, although these races will cr(_)ss when in coufiiieiiient, 

 that in the open country the birds of each «'onld select tln-ir 

 projK'r nnites and produce pure In'ed (.iti's])ring, an opinii.m 

 wliicli I regard as exceedingly doidjtful. 



The cross between the Japanese and cijnniion plieiisaiit is 

 a bird of brilliant plumage, easy to rear, of gi'eater size than 

 the average of Eoglish birds, ami the tlesli is very tenilcr and 

 well flavoured. ]n N(n-fo]k this very lieautifiil cross was 

 introduced by ^Ir. J. 11. (iiirney, whi.i bred most successfully, 

 b(.>tli at Eastoii and Noi-threpps, from the birds he oljtainrd at 

 the Knowsley sale and the common pdieasant (tlioagh t'hietly 

 with tlie ring-iieckeil cross), a,nd pn-oduced magniticeiit 

 specimens; and from tlie eggs Ijeing greatly sought after hy 

 other game preservers in his (b'strict, the race soon spreail 

 throng'hont the county. '■'From p)ers(jnal ofiservation anil 

 inquii-y, however," writes Mr. Steveuson, " during the last 

 t'.N'o (U- three years, it ap])ears, evidiMices of this cross, even in 

 the covcu'ts \vhere these hybrids were most plentiful, are miw 

 scarcely perceptible ; the strong characteristics of the Chinese 

 liii'd apparently absorbing all the less marked though darker 

 tints of the Japanese. One of these birds, killed in ls."):j, 

 weigheil upwards of four and a half pounds, and iiutny 

 examples, which were stuffed for the l)eanty ol their 

 plumage, will be found in the collections of our country 

 gentlemen." 



I'he absorption of the Japanese^ in the nmre common race 

 is not surprising when the small interfusion of new lilood is 

 taken into consideration, but with the fresh introduction of 

 new blood, and the care in the preservation of the cross-bred 

 birds, there can be no doubt a permanent lireed would 

 result, bearing the same rcdation to the pure hired Japanese 



