HYBRIDS AND HYBRIDISATION 



speckled or patched with white are not uncommon ; others 

 entirely white are sometimes seen. A more beautiful variety 

 is that which has been named the Bohemian Pheasant, which, 

 like the ring-necked, may be considered as a distinct race'. 

 All the races and varieties breed together, and the produce is 

 equally prolific, a fact which of itself is sufficient to prove 

 their specific identity." 



Phasianus Principalis Hybrids 



The Prince of Wales Pheasant has been crossed with the 

 black-necked, and the birds resulting from this cross are 

 very beautiful in their plumage, and particularly sharp on the 

 wing, but as P. Principali is undersized when compared with 

 P. Mongolicus, it follows that the hybrids are smaller, and this 

 loss of size is an important item to the Pheasant-raiser, to the 

 sportsman, but above all to the game-dealer and the public. 



Principalis hybrids are very prolific layers, but their eggs 

 are rather small, as might be expected. It is a hardy hybrid, 

 but the author believes that all game-rearers will agree with 

 him that it is distinctly inferior, in nearly every respect, to the 

 Mongolicus hybrids. P. Principalis would be better crossed 

 with pure Mongolian hens, or perhaps what would be more 

 advantageous, would be to mate a pure Mongolian cock with 

 a Prince of Wales hen. This would, to a certain extent, 

 diminish the tendency towards the reduction in size of the 

 birds, as physical development is more likely to be perpetu- 

 ated on the male side. The pure black-necked Pheasant 

 rather favours reduction in size, and this is augmented by 

 using P. Principalis on the male side. 



The Prince of Wales Pheasant is by no means an un- 

 satisfactory bird in the covert, whilst it has certain qualities 



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