PHEASANT. 195 



rump yellow; upper tail coverts long, narrow, and crimson, falling 

 down on each side of the tail ; wing coverts chestnut and brown 

 mixed; scapulars blue; quills brown, with yellowish spots; tail 

 long, and cuneiform, the longest feathers twenty-three inches, the 

 outer one very short; the colour chestnut and black, beautifully 

 variegated ; legs yellow, with a spur, a quarter of an inch long, at 

 the back part. 



The female is smaller; irides hazel; head feathers longish ; 

 general colour of the plumage brown, varied with yellowish brown ; 

 the tail shorter, but not much unlike that of the male ; the legs 

 without spurs. 



The native place of this beautiful species is China, where it is 

 called Kinki, or Kinkee, which signifies Gold-flower Fowl, or 

 Wrought Fowl. We do not know of its breeding at large any where 

 in Europe, being kept in Menageries, and bearing confinement well; 

 for as it breeds freely, any further importation from the native 

 country seems needless : the eggs are redder than in our Pheasant 

 not unlike those of the Guinea Fowl ; will breed with our Species. 

 Buffbn relates an instance of this, which produced two male birds, 

 one of which paired with a female Common Pheasant, and had one 

 young, a female. As they are hardy birds, attempts have been made 

 to naturalize them to our climate, and many pairs have been turned 

 out for this purpose, but, it is to be lamented, without success, 

 having in every instance been shot by some greedy and improvident 

 sportsman : the flavour of the flesh is said to exceed that of the 

 Common Pheasant. 



This species, like the other, is subject to change the appearance 

 of sex : Edwards mentions the circumstances in some kept by Lady 

 Essex, the females of which, in the space of six years, gradually 

 gained the male feathers ; and we have been informed by others, that 

 it is not unusual for the hens, when about four or five years old, to be 

 neglected by the cocks, and gradually to gain the plumage of the 

 other sex. 



C c2 



