104 PHEASANTS ADAPTED FOR THE COVERT. 



has occurred, the place is filled with feathers, and the female bird, from which he 

 expected so much, is found dead or dying, her head scalped, her eyes picked out, 

 or some other serious injury afflicted. I have found some species more inclined to 

 this cruel practice than others, the worst, according to my experience, being the 

 P, scemmerrmgii." Mr. Elliot justly remarks that this is a sad- account of such a 

 beautiful bird, and he also suggests the right remedy when he states that doubtless 

 this evil could be abolished by planting thick clumps of bushes in their inclosure, 

 into which the hens could retreat and escape from the persecution of the males ; 

 if kept in large enclosures covered with shrubs, and filled with growing grass, 

 there should be no difficulty in rearing these birds, especially if a due supply 

 of fresh vegetable food be daily given. 



Our knowledge of the habits of this magnificent bird in its native state 

 is very hmited. The best account which has been published is in Commodore 

 Perry's "Japan Expedition" — one of those magnificent and expensive scientific 

 works so liberally published by the American Government. Commodore Perry 

 writes : — 



" This is undoubtedly the most beautiful of all the true pheasants, and will 

 compare in richness and brilliancy of colour with almost any other species of bird 

 In the adult male the neck and back are of a deep golden red, with a metallic 

 lustre of great beauty, but the female is exceedingly plain and unpretending. 



" Like the Versicolor, the present is only known as a bird of Japan ; and but 

 few years have elapsed since it was first introduced to the attention of naturalists 

 by the celebrated Professor Temminck, well known as the most distinguished of 

 European ornithologists. It appears to inhabit the same districts of country as the 

 Versicolor, and to subsist on much the same descripton of food; but we regret to 

 say that the gentlemen of the expedition had no opportunity for observing this 

 species to such an extent as to enable us to make any important contribution to 

 its history. 



"Nothing having previously been published in relation to this beautiful 

 pheasant, we have exerted ourselves to obtain all available information, and have 

 great pleasure in again acknowledging our obligations to Mr. Heine, the accom- 

 plished artist of the expedition, for the following note: — 



" ' On one of my excursions I came very suddenly upon another species of 

 pheasant, of very beautiful colours, and with a very long tail. Being in the midst 

 of briars, and in an inconvenient position, I missed him, or at least did not injure 

 him further than to shoot off his two long taU feathers. 



" ' Returning on board in the evening, I found that our chaplain, the Rev. 

 George Jones, had purchased a pheasant of the same kind from a Japanese root- 

 digger in the hills. It was not wounded, or otherwise injured, and seemed to have 

 been either caught in a trap or found dead. To my inquiries of the Japanese 



