174 PHJEA8ANT8 FOB COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



This species is readily distiDguished by the widely 

 separated transverse bands on the tail of the male, and the 

 short, rounded tail of the female (Sin. in length, that of the 

 male being 23in.), the feathers of which are tipped with white 

 at the extremity. We are not aware of any hybrids between 

 this and allied species, although their production would 

 be very interesting as bearing on a suggestion made by 

 Darwin to the effect that "if the female Scemmerring 

 pheasant with her short tail were crossed with the male 

 common pheasant, there could be no doubt that the male 

 Lybrid offspring would have a much longer tail than that of 

 the pure offspring of the common pheasant. On the other 

 hand, if the female common pheasant, with her tail nearly 

 twice as long as that of the female Scemmerring pheasant, 

 were crossed with the male of the latter, the male hybrid 

 offspring would have a much shorter tail than that of the pure 

 offspring of Scemmerring's pheasant." — "The Descent of 

 Man," Vol. II., p. 156. ' 



The following description of the two sexes is taken from 

 Mr. Gould's- magnificent folio, "The Birds of Asia " :— " The 

 male has the whole of the upper surface and throat of a fine 

 coppery brown, with a lighter border to each feather, which 

 in some lights appear of a purple hue ; in others rich coppery 

 red, and in others again bright but deep flame colour — this 

 latter tint being especially conspicuous on the lower part 

 of the back and upper tail coverts. This is the general 

 appearance. On examining each feather singly, it is found 

 to be grey at the base, dark rich brown in the middle, with a 

 broad stripe down the centre, and on each side of dark 

 coppery brown, with a lustrous stripe on each side of the tip ; 

 wing coverts the same, but devoid of the lustre at the tips ; 

 a few of the greater coverts with a narrow bar of creamy 

 white at the tip, within which is a still narrower one of 

 black. Primaries dark brown, crossed by irregular broken 

 bands of a tawny hue; secondaries dark brown, freckled 

 near the tip with tawny, and a large patch of deep rufous 



