GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 5g 



Green Japanese Pheasant. 



Phasianus versicolor, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII, 

 p. 324. 



This is far the most distinct in colour of all the races ; it is 

 confined to Japan, and even there does not occur in Yezo. The 

 breast and flanks are all dark glossy green, the wings and rump 

 grey ; there is no neck-ring. The hen is more darkly mottled 

 with black than in other hen pheasants of this type, especially 

 on the breast. This is well known in Europe, and often crossed 

 with the two previous races. Stone's pheasant much resembles 

 the hybrid thus produced. 



Mongolian Pheasant. 



Phasianus mongolicus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, 

 Vol. XXII, p. 328. 



This species, ranging from the Syr-Darya east to lake Zaisan 

 and south to the Issik-kul valley, is very distinct from the three 

 last in two structural points — the absence of the ear-tufts and 

 the fact that the naked red face-skin only dilates below the eye 

 and not above also. In colour it is dark'Ccippefy red; with the 

 darker markings on breast and flanks indistinct ; there is a 

 broad white collar, interrupted in front by the copper-red of the 

 breast, which runs up the neck, this not being green or purple 

 all round as in other pheasants of this type ; the white wings and 

 straw-coloured eyes are also striking points. The light eyes 

 also characterise the hen which is also paler than the hens of 

 the common and Ring-necked species. The Dzungarian race {P. 

 semitorquatus) is similar, but has a green instead of purple gloss 

 on the plumage, and the collar more widely broken. The 

 Mongolian is a large race, and greatly favoured at present in 

 Britain for crossing purposes. 



Royal or Murghab Pheasant. 



Phasianus principalis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, 

 Vol. XXII, p. 325. ,U..-: • V .,.:, 



This species is of particular interest to Indian sportsmen, as 

 it is found in North- West Afghanistan, ranging into the adjacent 

 parts of Persia. It is, like the Common Pheasant, rather uniform 

 in tint and devoid of a white collar, but is light in hue, being 

 chestnut rather than bay, and has the wing-coverts white. The 

 lien is lighter than that of the Common Pheasant. In the bed 



