Eared, Golden, and Amherst Pheasants. 



■21 



in the photograph* is the type of the species — 4e.,the 

 specimen first procured — from which it was described, 

 and is in tlie Calcutta Museum. A specimen has also 

 lived at the London Zoo. Considering the admiration 

 which accurate marking always evokes among Englisli 

 fanciers, the wonderfnl regularity and heauty of the 

 pencilling of this bird ought to make it one of the most 

 popular of the Pheasants, if it be introduced. And 

 there is great hope of this, inasmuch as the birds have 

 bred in Paris, and when I saw them seemed to be doing 

 very well. The hen of this species is brown, with white 

 V-shaped pencilling on the breast, and all the tail 

 feathers uniform brown alike. 



CHAPTER VI, 



EARED, GOLDEN, AND AMHERST 

 PHEASANTS. 



The Eared Pheasant.?, or Crossoptilons, .are a very 

 natural and easily distinguishable group, closely allied 

 to the Kaleeges. Like those birds, they have a folded 

 hen-like tail", and bare red faces, but they also possess 

 some very marked characteristics of their own. 



They are big, heavy birds, equalling a large fowl in 

 size, and are clothed in a peculiarly loose-textured, 

 hairy-looking plumage, admirably adapted for defending 

 them against the dry cold of their natural habitat, the 

 higher mountains of Central and Eastern Asia. The 

 first pair of tail feathers are particularly loose .and 

 filamentous, and overhang the others. The ends of all 

 the tail feathers are glossy steel-bine, but with the 

 exception of this, the plumage shows no bright colours ; 

 and the female is colonred exactly like the male, only 

 differing from him in not possessing spurs. All the species 

 have a black velvety cap and white throat, the white 

 extending behind up the sides of the face and ter- 

 minating in two ear-like tufts, which give the bird a 

 very g^uaint appearance. There are only a few species, 

 differing chiefly in body colour, and only one of these is 

 well known in confinement. 



The Manchurian Eaeed Pheasant. 



(Crossoptilon mantchuriciim.) 



The native country of this bird is the hills of China. 

 In colour it is the dullest of its kind, being dark 

 blackish brown ; but this hue is set off by the red face 

 and legs, and contrasts well with the white whiskers 

 and white tail tipped with steel-blue. 



It has been known in Europe for a considerable time, 

 and does well there, being of a quiet disposition, and 

 easily domesticated. Mr. Tegetmeier states that he has 

 seen it in this condition in the AVelsh hills, as tame as a 

 common fowl. The male is said not to show himself off 

 to the female, as if conscious that he has no superior 

 beauty to display ; though this does not prevent other 

 male birds without special adornment, such as the 

 common pigeon, from making conspicuous exhibitions of 

 themselves ! The Crossoptilon, from its steady disposi- 

 tion, would probably stand showing, and would doubtle,ss 

 thrive in situations too bleak for ordinary poultry. 



The London Zoo has possessed another species — the 

 Tibetan Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon tibetanum), which 

 I was fortunate enough to see there. This is a striking 

 looking bird, all the plumage except the cap and the 

 tip of the tail being white, well set off by the red face 

 and feet. There is also a beautiful species whose body- 

 colour is blue-grey (Crossoptilon aurltum), but this has 

 not yet been kept in captivity, so far as I am aware. 

 This is a pity, as it is certainly the most remarkable of 

 all ; but I hope that in time the whole genus of these 



* I have to thank my chief, Major Aloock, I.M.S., Superintendent 

 of the Indian Museum, for Idnd permission to use this photograph 

 tor reproduction in this work. 



fine birds will be better known. Birds that can be com- 

 pletely domesticated are not so common that we can 

 afford to neglect any of them. 



Very difterent from the soberly -clad and bulky Eared 

 Pheasants are the beautiful gold and Amherst Pheasants, 

 which have no very near relatives, and are almost un- 

 surpassed among birds for gorgeoasness of attire. They 

 are not large birds, being inferior in bulk to the hen 

 of the common Pheasant, although the tails of the 

 cocks are very long. This sex also possesses a crest, 

 and a cape or ruff of broad feathers on the neck, which 

 can be expanded and twisted over from one side to the 

 other when the ornament is being displayed to the hens, 

 for these birds favour the one-sided method of showing 

 off 



The hens of the two species are as big as the cocks, 



GoLMCN Pheasants, 



