CHAPTER XIX. 



PHEASANTS ADAPTED FOR THE AYIARY (CONTINUED). 



THE IMPEYAN PHEASANT {ZOPSOFSOBUS 

 3>' IMFJEYANUS). 



HE Monaul, or Impeyan Pheasant, is one of the most gorgeous 



of the whole tribe, the wonderfiJ. metallic hrilliance of its 



plumage, " gleaming in purple and gold," never fails to attract 



the attention of the spectator. In the Zoological Gardens it 



has bred frequently, but a native of the Himdlas, seldom descending 



far below the snow line, and suffering from the heat of summer, 



is not likely to succeed in a situation where the soil is pure London 



clay. During the life of my friend, Mr. J. J. Stone, I saw at large on 



the Welsh HiUs Impeyan pheasants as tame as the other poultry, and 



I have little doubt but that in suitable localities this magnificent bird 



might be introduced to advantage. 



Should it be thought desirable to try the experiment in any appropriate 



locality, this can only be done by a consideration of their natural habits, and I have 



therefore great pleasure in quoting the following from the late Ool. TickeU, who 



was well acquainted with the birds in their natural haunts : — 



"The monaul ranges high in the mountains where it is found, keeping near 

 the line of snow; and although met with in the ridges next the plains, becomes 

 much more numerous farther in the mountains. It frequents the entire range of 

 the Himala, from Afghanistan to Sikhim. Its range in elevation varies according to 

 season, but in the severest winter it does not appear to descend below 6000 feet 

 above sea level. I have seen numbers in Nepal in winter, brought with other kinds 

 of pheasants by the Botias for sale in the plains of India, where they soon perish 

 when the hot weather begins. 



" They are forest birds, and difilcult to be found in summer when vegetation 

 is profuse, unless by ascending to the highest limits of the forest, when shots may 



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