AMHEBST PHEASANT HYBRIDS. 203 



s pecimens combine in a remarkable degree the most attractive 

 features of the two species from ■whicli tbey are derivedj and 

 are unquestionably far more beautiful tban either; compared 

 ■with them the pure bred Amherst looks pallid, and the Gold 

 Pheasant wants the beautiful contrast of the white neck 

 tippet and the brilliancy of the green and blue. 



The crest is fully deTsloped, being larger than in either 

 parent species ; in colour it is a brilliant scarlet orange. The 

 neck tippet is white, margined with brilliant dark green, 

 resembling that of the Amherst, but considerably more 

 developed. The iris, which is white in the latter species, is 

 of a pale straw colour in the hybrids, as is the naked skin 

 under the eye. The- neck under the tippet, as well as the 

 throat, is a resplendent green. The breast, which in the 

 Amherst is white, is a brilliant scarlet orange, with a narrow 

 transverse band of lighter yellow about an inch below the 

 margin of the green feathers of the throat. The flanks are 

 of the same colour as the breast. The back is yellow, 

 running into the bright scarlet orange of the tail coverts and 

 side sickle feathers. The wing coverts are of a magnificent 

 dark steel blue. In all the characters mentioned, the 

 hybrids possess the most gorgeous hues of the two species 

 conjoined. The tail, however, is an exception ; that of the 

 Amherst is certainly more beautiful than that of the Gold, 

 which latter, however, appears almost unchanged in the 

 cross-breeds, but of somewhat increased size. As, however, 

 in the so-called species TJiaumalea ohscura, the tail of the 

 Gold tends to vary towards the markings of that of the 

 Amherst, and the upper part of the throat to assume a 

 spangled character, there would be no difficulty in breeding 

 this cross with the Amherst tail. The cross-breeds are 

 . remarkably tame, feeding readily out of the hand. 



Mr. Elliot, in his monograph of the Fhasianidce, gives a 

 life-sized coloured plate of this hybrid, and acknowledges 

 that " in size and brilliancy of dress he eclipses " both the 

 parent species, adding : " Contrary to my intention of not 



