HYBRID BUEVES'S PHEASANTS. 187 



Eeeves escaped from the penSj bred with a common pheasant, 

 and brought up five very fine young birds, much larger than 

 the common pheasant, and of beautiful plumage." 



Many specimens of hybrid or cross-bred Reeves have been 

 reared in confinement. That figured in the same plate with 

 the Bohemian pheasant was the ofPspring of a male Reeves 

 with a Bohemian hen; it partook, as may be noticed, the 

 characters of both species, the tail being of intermediate 

 length, the white cowl, cheek patch, and neck ring of the 

 Reeves being retained, but the splendid golden yellow of the 

 body being almost entirely wanting. 



Hybrids have been produced between a male Reeves's 

 pheasant and female Cheer {Phasianus wallichii), but they 

 have little beyond their size to recommend them. In appear- 

 ance they look like dirty faded Reeves's, with comparatively 

 short tails. They are of large size, like the parent species, 

 and would in all probability partake of those terrestrial habits 

 of the Cheer which preclude its being advantageously intro- 

 duced as a game bird, as it often refuses to rise, even when 

 hunted or pursued with dogs. 



A singular hybrid was produced and described by Mr. R. 

 Sanders, of Heavitree, who writes : " I have three most 

 beautiful male birds, bred between the Reeves and gold. The 

 size is about that of the male Reeves, but the plumage does 

 not in the least partake of that of either parent ; it is very 

 much like that of the copper pheasant of China (of which 

 I had several some years since), but not so dark. The chief 

 colour is a soft light brown, running into a light copper ; the 

 marking on the head is somewhat after the Reeves ; the tail 

 verv long." 



