184 PHEASANT. 



7- FIRE-BACKED PHEASANT. 



Phasianus ignitus, Ind. Orn. Sup. p. lxi. 



Gallus Macartneii, Houpifere Macartney, Temm. Pig. Sf Gall. 8vo. ii. p. '278. 

 Fire-backed Pheasant, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 274. Emb. to China, i. 246. pi. 13. Nat. 

 Misc. pi. 321. 



THIS is larger than a common Fowl; length two feet or more. 

 Bill long, pale, and much curved, but less so than in the Impeyan 

 Pheasant ; the face and sides of the head beyond the eyes, covered 

 with a bare bluish skin, continuing as a wattle on each side of the 

 throat; general colour of the plumage black, with a blue gloss, 

 marked on the sides with transverse stripes of white; feathers of the 

 head much elongated, forming a large pointed crest, of the same 

 colour as the body, and tending backwards; the lower part of the 

 back ferruginous, varying into bright orange in different reflections 

 of light. This colour surrounds the upper part of the belly, but 

 with little or no brilliancy, the belly, and inside of the thighs bluish 

 ash ; the feathers of the neck and breast rounded at the ends, appear- 

 ing distinct ; tail feathers mostly of the same general blue black 

 colour, bending downwards ; four of the middle ones are white, and 

 there are two sickle-shaped ones, fourteen inches in length ; these 

 are white, with the ends black ; also some others much the same, but 

 shorter, and all curving downwards; legs stout, scaly, pale in colour, 

 and each furnished with a stout spur, at least one inch and a half in 

 length, and sharp at the end. 



The female is smaller, rufous on the upper parts of the body, the 

 crest much as in the male, neck before with whitish mottlings ; breast 

 feathers black, with white edges ; belly black, edged more broadly 

 with white ; lower belly and thighs black and white mixed ; the bill 

 is brown ; sides of the head as in the male ; the tail bends down- 

 wards, as in that sex, but without the elongated curved feathers ; 

 legs bluish. 



