54 



Points on Care and Breeding of Pheasants, etc. 



Description of Pheasants 



GREAT ARGUS PHEASANTS 



His display of plumage is a wonderful sight. It has no brilliant colors, the beauty of the 

 Argus is chiefly in its shading. The cock's two center tail feathers are remarkable, being 

 over four feet long, very broad and curiously twisted at the end. The plumage is shaded 

 with ochre, senna and white, and resemble bells lying in a socket, when the feathers are in 

 vertical position. They are very thin and delicate, so that, seen from behind, they look Uke 

 stained glass. The Argus thrives well in confinement, but require protection from the weather. 



Characteristic of the male bird is the elevation of his wings The primary feathers up- 

 wards and seemingly looking at the hen out of the comer of his eye and alternately moving 

 the large tail feathers outwards and inwards. When full grown, they weigh from seven to 

 twelve pounds per bird. Breeding season. May- August ; hen lays about twenty eggs in a season. 



THE IMPEYAN OR MONAUL PHEASANTS 



The Monaul is a heavily formed bird equal to a very large owl in size; the legs are short 

 and powerful and the tail is Hke that of a pigeon — fiat and slightly rounded at the end. The 

 color of plximage is burnished green, running into metallic purple and blue. 



The Lancelot feathers are bright purple changing into green with a golden glance. The 

 middle of the back is white, the rest of the plumage being rich blue glancing with green and 

 purple, highly glossed. They do not come into full plumage till the second year. Their 

 weight when full grown, is from thres to five pounds. 



Impeyan are poor breeders, a hen lays about ten eggs in a season. 



