which are also very big and fat, surpassing- those which are in our country in bigness and numbers in a 

 company." 



Several fine skins of both sexes were sent to this country by the late Captain Ince, R.N., of H.M.S. 

 "Pilot"; and others have been transmitted to J. R. Reeves, Esq., of Clapham; all these specimens were 

 procured in the neighbourhood of Shanghai, where the species appears to be very common. 



Although Gmelin probably first proposed the specific term for this bird, it was M. Temminck who pointed 

 out the differences which occur between it and the Common Pheasant, and stated that, in his opinion, the 

 Chinese bird is the one to which the term torquatus should be applied, his observations having satisfactorily 

 proved to him that it is quite distinct from the P. Colchicus. He remarks, that "it is of much smaller size, 

 its length from the tip of the beak to the extremity of the tail never exceeding two feet five inches, which is 

 six inches less than the total length of the Common Pheasant ; the expanse of the wings is also less, and 

 the tail is much shorter in proportion to the size of the body." He further states, that the circumstance 

 of its breeding in a state of semi-domestication with the common species and producing fertile offspring 

 is no proof of the two birds not being specifically distinct. In this opinion I entirely concur, and, like 

 M. Temminck, also believe that in a state of nature such a union would never take place. 



As this bird is likely hereafter to play no inconspicuous part among the game-birds of the British Islands, 

 a word or two on this point may not be out of place here. If it could be kept quite pure, it would doubtless 

 prove a most interesting addition to our woods, since its plumage is variegated and beautiful, and its flesh 

 very delicate and high-flavoured ; the aptitude, however, of the males to wander in search of fresh scenes 

 and other females renders this a matter of great difficulty. It is somewhat delicate in its constitution, 

 and consequently not so well adapted for our variable climate. When raised in cover, its flight is bold, 

 straight and arrow-like, mounting through the branches with great celerity, and often flying to a con- 

 siderable distance before it again enters the cover. 



The eggs are of a pale olivaceous stone-colour, and considerably smaller than those of the Common 

 Pheasant, being one inch and eleven-sixteenths long by one inch and three-sixteenths broad. 



I cannot conclude without recording my obligations to the Earl of Craven for a very fine series of Pheasants 

 from his Lordship's preserves at Coombe Abbey, near Coventry, an examination and comparison of which 

 with the true P. Colchicus and P. torquatus have greatly assisted in the elucidation of the subject. 



The male has the forehead deep green ; crown of the head fawn-colour, glossed with green ; over each 

 eye a conspicuous streak of buffy white ; the naked papillated skin of the orbits and sides of the face deep 

 scarlet or blood-red, interspersed beneath the eye with a series of very minute black feathers; horn-like tufts 

 on each side of the head, throat and neck rich deep shining green with violet reflexions ; near the base of 

 the neck a conspicuous collar of shining white feathers, narrow before and behind, and broadly dilated on 

 the sides ; the feathers of the back of the neck black, with a narrow mark of white down the centre of 

 the basal portion, and a large lengthened mark of ochreous yellow within the edge of each web near the tip ; 

 the feathers of the back and scapularies black at the base, with a streak of white in the middle, then buff 

 s urrounded with a distinct narrow band of black, to which succeeds an outer fringe of chestnut ; feathers of 

 the back black, with numerous zigzag and crescentic marks of buffy white ; lower part of the back, rump 

 and upper tail-coverts light green of various shades, passing into bluish grey on the sides, below which is 

 a mark of rufous ; breast-feathers indented at the tip, of a rich reddish chestnut with purple reflexions, 

 and each bordered with black ; flanks fine buff, with a large angular spot of beautiful violet at the tip ; centre 

 of the abdomen black, with violet reflexions ; under tail-coverts reddish chestnut ; wing-coverts silvery grey ; 

 wings brown; the primaries with light shafts, and crossed with narrow bars of light buff; the secondaries 

 similar, but the markings not so regular as in the primaries ; tail-feathers olive, fringed with different shades 

 of reddish violet, and crossed at regular intervals with broad conspicuous black bands, passing into reddish 

 on the sides of the basal portion of the six central feathers ; bill yellowish horn-colour ; irides yellow ; feet 



greyish white. 



The female has the whole of the upper surface brownish black, with a margin of buff to every feather ; the 

 throat whitish, and the central portion of the under surface fawn-colour ; flanks mottled with brown ; tail buff, 

 barred with dark brown, between which are other interrupted bars of the same hue ; these marks are broader 

 on the two central feathers than on the others, and moreover do not reach the edge on either side. 



The Plate represents the bird nearly the size of life. 



