CHAPTBE XII. 

 The Japanese Pheasant 



(Phasiamis versicolor). 



JAPAN, among the numerous objects of interest with which 

 it has furnished Europe, has supphed us with the most 

 gorgeous of the true pheasants — P. versicolor. It is 

 doubtful, indeed, whether any of the gallinaceous group, 

 magnificent as many of them are, can surpass this bird in 

 resplendent brilliancy. The wonderful dark grass green of 

 the breast, that no painter can equal, the dark blue of the neck 

 and the brilKant scarlet of the face taken together constitute 

 one of the most eiJective combinations of colour to be found in 

 the whole class of birds. This splendid addition to the fauna of 

 Great Britain was quite unknown in a living state in Europe 

 sixty years since. It was described by Vieillot in his Galerie 

 des Oiseaux in 1825 and by Temminck in 1830. In 1840 a few 

 birds were brought to Amsterdam from Japan. Of these a 

 pair passed into the possession of the Earl of Derby. Of this 

 pair the female died, and the breed was established by cross- 

 ing the male with several females of the ordinary species, and 

 then pairing the half-bred progeny with the old male, and 

 continuing the breeding back until the offspring were no 

 longer capable of being distinguished from the original bird. 



At the death of the Earl of Derby the Knowsley collection 

 came to the hammer. A number of the versicolor pheasants 

 including the original bird, were purchased by Prince Demidoff 

 for his preserves in Italy, and others passed into the possession 

 of Mr. J. H. Gurney, of Norwich. Since that period many 

 specimens have been imported. 



