042 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



I'l'diii the lowei' part (_>f tlu' l^ack, and in great pai't obscura 

 the true tail. 'J'liese tail e()\'erts are white, and have the 

 harlijs separated, so that the}' form an elegant aj^pendage to 

 the body. The legs and feet ol' the Eared l^lieasant are red 

 m colour, and of true scratching or rasorial t3'pe, the claws 

 being bluntly curved, like those of the common fowl. The 

 head is very striking in its general appearance ; the vaulted 

 beak is of a pale- Heshy white, contrasting strongly with the 

 red skin of the face, winch again is thrown into prominence 

 1)V the white feathers that constitute the so-called ears of the 

 bn-d. 



Consul Swiidioe wrote, " tins lurd is found in the hills 

 nni'th of Pekin, in Mautchuria, and brought in winter to 

 I'ekia in large nuiubers, Ijoth alive and dead, ft is called by 

 the natives tlie Ho-ke. The feathers of tliis bird were formerly 

 woiai by Tartar \varriors. 1 have not seen the species in its 

 wdd state." 



I'ere David informs us that these birds frequent the 

 \\(>ods of higli mountains, and that they subsist mitcli more 

 upon green vegetablos, leaves of trees, and succulent roots 

 than upon grain. In their habits they are more gregarious 

 than the common pheasants, assembling together in flocks of 

 considerable size. In domestication they become exceedino-lv 

 tajiie, feeding readily from the hand. When at laro-e thev 

 ap]iear remarkably hardy ; they lii'eed when (uily one year old, 

 and acquire their adult plumage at the first autumnal moult. 



'bhey possess the very rare instinct of domestication. I 

 liave seen specimens at Mr. Stoue's residence in the Welsh 

 hills as familiar as barn-door fowls. Jn the closelv-confined 

 ])ens in our Zoological Gardens theii' increase has not been 

 very rapid, but they have proved themselves as hardy and 

 prolific as common turkeys would have been if placed 

 under similar disadvantageous conditions. i\Ir. Bartlett 

 urdes: "Of the Crossoptiloii we have reared nine tino birds 

 I he second hatch, having lost by the gapes the first brood of 

 seven." 



