S(EMMEBHIN(r:^ PHEASANT. :>{:', 



was Ijroiight to the same place, dead but uiiinjiired, aud 

 evidently Ijut very recently killed. The golden brilliancy of 

 this bird's plnmage is probably not exceeded by any object in 

 nature, and is quite equal in lustre to the most brillian'. 

 markings of the humming-birds, or the most highly burnisheil 

 metal. This splendid colouring covers the whole body of the 

 bird, merely shaded with a little coppered-red about tlie tips 

 and inargiris of the feathers, so as to show the lance-head 

 form of the feathers. This specimen was taken on board the 

 tlagsliip Iiiilf'peuAeiict' and 2)resoi-ved. 



" ' The specimen of the other species that I saw was shot 

 Ijy i\Jr. Heine, who made a very l^eaiitiful painting of it. Tlie 

 two birds are found in the same localities, and seem to be 

 similar in habits. 



"'The Japanese system of agriculture, although very 

 luinute, and appropriating all available land to some useful 

 jiurpose, yet affords a.l:)undant shelter f(jr the native fauna. 

 Scarcely any laud is tilled exce})t such as can be watered, so 

 that the tops of liills and large p(j]-ti(ins (jf mountainous and 

 ]irecipiti>us ])laces ai'e ajipropriated t" the growth of tinjber, 

 or left covered with the primitive forest. These wooded 

 districts aff(jrd shelter for wild hog's, foxes, and raccoims (the 

 skins of which were seen), as well as for the pheasants; and 

 they all descend in turn to plunder the crops, or steal the 

 chu-kens in the valleys. ])uriug the lirst part of our stay at 

 Simoda the cultivated fields afforded no food for the pheasants. 

 The natives told us there were plenty in the hills ; but no one 

 ^vas willing in undertake to show them, and se\'eral rambles 

 throtigh the bushes where these birds were supposed Xn ieed 

 ended in disappointment. Only once I had a glimpse of a 

 brood of young ones near a hut in the mountains, but they 

 immediati'ly disappeared Ijy running very rapidly. Perhaps 

 one reason (jf our wa,ut of success is to be found in the fact 

 that the wheat was ripe, and pa.rtially harvested before we left 

 (June 24), so that during the time of our efforts they were 

 enabled to hll then- crops occasionally from the wlieatfields, 



