198 PHEASANT. 



of Tayuth is on the west side of China, or rather north-west borders 

 of China. In the Latin Ed. 1671, p. 54. cap. 62, — " Sunt in ea 

 " maximi fasiani caudas habentes longitudinis lOPalmornni aut octo, 

 " cap. 62, de regione Erigimul et Civitate Singui." 



In a late English translation of M. Polo, 1818, p. 225. the tail 

 feathers are said to be eight or ten palms in length ; and in Mr. 

 Marsden's note on this, he seems inclined to think the bird referred 

 to may possibly mean the Argus Pheasant; but the two centre 

 feathers of this bird are by no means similar to those of the Barred- 

 tail Species, nor are we able to ascertain the feathers to which M. 

 Polo's bird belongs. 



I observed, at Sir Jos. Banks's, some fine drawings, taken from 

 Lady Banks's curious collection of ancient porcelain, wherein is, 

 represented a mock fight on the water, for the Emperor's amuse- 

 ment, supposed to be between his Tartarian and Chinese subjects, 

 personated by the females in his seraglio — the Chieftains of the former 

 having one of these barred feathers on each side of the bonnet, 

 perhaps as insignia of one order ; the opponent, or Chinese, have 

 also two feathers of the Pheasant, but of a smaller sort, probably of 

 the Painted One : hence we may conclude our bird to be a native of 

 Tartary, and not unlikely as common there, as the Chinese Pheasant 

 is to the last named empire. 



Mr. Pennant possibly alludes to this when he says, speaking of 

 birds belonging to the Tartarian, or Siberian World,—" But the 

 " Species of the Pheasant Kind, with the feathers of the tail three 

 " feet long, are confined to this country ; the feathers are sent from 

 " Koree, as an article of commerce to various parts of the Chinese 

 " Empire."* Again this author observes, that the bird itself has a 

 body no larger than that of a Pigeon.f It is unlucky, that we have 

 been able to furnish no certain description from the living specimen, 

 for we are informed, that one of the kind died on board a ship on its 



* Pennant's China, i. p. 166. t Id. p 126. 



