218 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



over a tip]iet f(jnncd of Lrond flat featliers, wlucli are of a 

 deep orauge culuiir, witli dark Ijlno Ijars aeruss the tips; these 

 latter form, when the featliers ai'e ia position, a seia'es of 

 horizontal Imes across the tippet. During' the courtship of 

 the female this collar vv ti]3pet is brought ovei' to the side 

 nearest to the hen, as shown iu the illustration at tlie 

 end of this chapter ; the late Mr. T. W Wood ]iaid more 

 attention to the aniatoi'}- display's of birds than any other 

 writer. Respecting that of the (iohJeu Dieasant he writes: 

 " Not the lea^t remarkafile example <jf the lateral mode of 

 display during courtsliip is that of the Golden Pheasant, 

 wliC)se elegant form and hrdliant colouring are so well known 

 in this country. The male runs very playfully after the 

 female, and, placing himself in iront of her, (piickly expands 

 his collar, firinging nearly the \vhole of it round to the side 

 where it is to be exhibited, and thereby presenting to view a 

 Hat disc of bright orange-red, banded with perfect regularity 

 by blue-black semicircles; the hen, on seeing this, frequently 

 runs away pursued by her would-be mate, wdio generally 

 linds himself |)laced witli liis other- side towards her, and the 

 collar is acccu'dingly sllo^YU on that side. At the moment the 

 fall expansion of the collar takes place, the bird utters a very 

 snake-like hiss, wliicli, according to our notions, would not be 

 very fascinating as a love-song; the body is very mucli dis- 

 torted, as is the case witli. the true pheasants, but the tail is 

 not spread so nmch, as the curved, roof-lik'e shape jirevents its 

 fornnng a flat surface. ^Slight breaks would occur iu the 

 black stripes (_if the collar \vhen expanded, were it not that 

 each feather has a second black stripe which is so placed as 

 effectually to prevent this." 



Below the tippet on the lower part ot the neck the feathers 

 are deep-green marguied with velvet black ; lielow this again 

 are the scapular feathers of .i dark crimson ; the back and 

 rump are golden vellow ; the tail itself is very long, the two 

 longest central feathers are covered with small irregular 

 circles of light-l^row u on a. dark ground, ^-ivinjr them a 



