Plumage. 233 



feather being margined with a dark green band, and having 

 a second narrow band at some distance from the tip. The 

 front of the neck, the breast, shoulders, back, and wing coverts 

 are of an exquisite metalHc green, each feather being tipped 

 with velvety black. The lower part of the breast and belly 

 is white, the thighs and under tail coverts mottled dark 

 brown and white. The feathers of the rump have the exposed 

 parts bright saffron yellow. The tail coverts are brown at 

 the base, striped green and white in the middle, and brilhant 

 scarlet at the ends. The two upper middle tail feathers have 

 a light ground marked so as to resemble lace, with broad 

 transverse bands of green about an inch apart. The other 

 tail feathers have the inner webs mottled black and white, 

 the outer webs with curved green bars, about three-quarters 

 of an inch apart. The bill is pale greenish, and the feet and 

 legs bluish lead colour. The female closely resembles the hen 

 of the last species (T. ficta), being a rich chestnut brown, with 

 bars of dark brown, which are broader than those of the 

 Golden Pheasant hen, and the under parts are Hghter in 

 colour ; moreover, the bare skin of the face is pale blue like 

 that of the male, but much smaller. The size of this species 

 is somewhat larger than that of its close ally, the Golden 

 Pheasant. In the male the adult plumage is not assumed 

 until the autumn of the second year. 



When Mr. Gould gave his description of this pheasant 

 in his " Birds of Asia," the male only was known, and he 

 wrote : "It would give me great pleasure to see a female 

 of this fine bird, and every ornithologist would be truly gratified 

 by the arrival of any information respecting the part of the 

 Celestial Empire in which it dwells, and any details as to its 

 habits. The bird would doubtless be as easily kept in our 

 aviaries as its near ally, the Golden Pheasant ; and it is my 

 ardent wish to see it thus located before I leave this lower 

 world for the higher and brighter one which is the end of our 

 hopes and desires." Every ornithologist must feel glad that 

 Mr. Gould had his wish gratified. 



