324 The Golden Pheasant. 



part of the throat is light brown ; the breast and under parts 

 orange-scarlet. Taken altogether, its appearance is so remark- 

 able that it looks more like one of the bizarre creations of 

 Chinese fancj^ than a real bird. The birds cf this genus 

 differ from the true pheasants, in the fact that the mature 

 masculine plumage is not assumed until the autumn of the 

 second year ; the young cocks looking, during the first twelve 

 months of their lives, very much hke the hens, from which 

 however, they can be readily distinguished by pulling one or 

 two of the feathers of the neck, which are reproduced of the 

 distinctive masculine character. 



The hens are very plain and unobtrusive, being barred 

 with alternate shades of Hght and dark brown. When barren, 

 they, like the other birds of the family, assume the more 

 gorgeous apparel of the male. 



Under the name of the Black-Throated or Java Golden 

 Pheasant {Thaumalea ohscura), a variety of this bird has been 

 described as a good " species." It has never been obtained 

 in a wild state, and is evidently merely a variety that, hke 

 the black-winged peacock, may appear at any time amongst 

 birds of the ordinary type, and could never be regarded as a 

 species by those who have studied the subject of variation 

 practically. It differs merely in the upper part of the throat 

 being darker in colour and obscurely spangled, in the pattern 

 of the motthng of the upper tail feathers, and in the general 

 darker hue of the females and young. 



One of the best and most complete accounts of the habits 

 and management of the Golden Pheasant in coniinement is 

 that written by Mr. W. Sinclaire, of Belfast, and pubhshed 

 in Thompson's " Natural History of Ireland," Vol. IL, p. 24. 

 Mr. Sinclaire writes : 



" Golden Pheasants are very easily reared in confinement, 

 and are quite as hardy as any of the other pheasants, or as 

 any of our domestic fowls ; indeed, I question if any of them 

 are sooner able to provide a subsistence for themselves, or to 

 live independent of the parent bird. In the several years^ 



