CHAl'TEK Xlir 



I'll E AS ANTS ADAPTED TO TEE ( J (J V E K T 

 (GONTIiN EED). 



THE MONGOLIAN PHEASANT {PHA>SL[NU,S 

 MnNaoLICUS). 







^W^ 



jjHE magnilict'iit j)lieasaiifc known as tlit- Moiin-oliaii 

 CI lines from the valley of the Syr-Daryr, as far east 

 as Lake S;iisan, and the valley of the 13lack Irtish. 

 <<^ fcjo little is known of it in this conntrv that Mr. OLrilvie 

 ' Grant, in his valuable monograph c>n " (iame Birds,'' 

 jiablished in 1897, says that he conld find no nijtes of 

 importance on the habits (d' this truly splendid plieasant, which 

 is (diaracterised by a broad white ring i-onnd the neck — inter- 

 rupted in the front by a narrow patch of co](jur — and by 

 luiving the wiiole of the wing C(_)verts white, the mantle, chest, 

 and breast bronzy orange red, the throat purplisli liron/.y red, 

 jiinl the breast and flank feathers tipped with very dark 

 green. The spiecies is of large size, the males measuring 

 Ijetween ofiin. ami .']7in. Coming as the Mongolian does from 

 the cold parts of China, the desert of (iobi, and Mongolia^ 

 it is exceedingly hardy, and sutt'ers more from extreme heat 

 than from severe cold. 



An unfortunate misunderstanding has arisen in the 

 United States respecting this Ijird. The State authorities in 

 Massachusetts and in Oregon have in the most extraordinary 

 manner confounded it with the Eing-neck, L'. fiirqudi us. 

 'J'liey have issued specific directions for its cultivation, 



