﻿xii 
  LIST 
  OF 
  PHOTOGRAVURES 
  

  

  Photogravure 
  42. 
  NEST 
  AND 
  EGGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CHEER 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Photographs 
  by 
  William 
  Beebe. 
  Facing 
  page 
  62 
  

  

  High 
  up 
  among 
  the 
  tumbled 
  mountains 
  a 
  slight 
  depression 
  is 
  scratched 
  among 
  the 
  ferns 
  

   and 
  spruce 
  needles. 
  It 
  is 
  usually 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  trunk 
  of 
  a 
  tree, 
  or 
  beneath 
  the 
  protecting 
  fronds 
  

   of 
  a 
  deodar 
  branch, 
  and 
  here 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid. 
  The 
  little 
  dull-coloured 
  hen 
  sits 
  closely, 
  for 
  

   the 
  eyes 
  of 
  crows 
  and 
  monkeys 
  are 
  sharp 
  and 
  her 
  plumage 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  conspicuous 
  against 
  

   the 
  grass 
  than 
  the 
  eggs. 
  

  

  Photogravure 
  43. 
  ORIGINAL 
  HOME 
  OF 
  THE 
  ENGLISH 
  PHEASANT, 
  LOWER 
  

   VALLEY 
  OF 
  THE 
  SAFED 
  RUD, 
  BETWEEN 
  THE 
  CASPIAN 
  

   AND 
  THE 
  BLACK 
  SEAS 
  Facingpage 
  7 
  6 
  

  

  Upper 
  Photograph 
  by 
  General 
  A. 
  C. 
  Bailward. 
  

  

  This 
  particular 
  spot 
  is 
  inhabited 
  by 
  the 
  Talisch 
  Caucasian 
  Pheasant, 
  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  

   talischensis 
  Lorenz, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  closely 
  related 
  forms 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  between 
  these 
  

   two 
  great 
  inland 
  seas. 
  It 
  was 
  from 
  this 
  area 
  that 
  the 
  Romans 
  brought 
  the 
  first 
  birds 
  to 
  Britain. 
  

   The 
  land 
  is 
  not 
  fertile 
  and 
  is 
  broken 
  up 
  by 
  rivers, 
  small 
  during 
  the 
  seasons 
  of 
  dryness, 
  but 
  

   swelling 
  into 
  great 
  torrents 
  in 
  the 
  rains. 
  The 
  people 
  are 
  little 
  changed 
  from 
  the 
  times 
  of 
  old 
  

   when 
  the 
  waves 
  of 
  emigrants 
  swept 
  first 
  in 
  one 
  direction, 
  then 
  in 
  another, 
  and 
  left 
  this 
  hinter- 
  

   land 
  of 
  Asia, 
  the 
  northernmost 
  edge 
  of 
  Persia, 
  wild 
  and 
  semi-civilized. 
  

  

  Here 
  the 
  pheasants 
  still 
  lay 
  their 
  eggs 
  and 
  rear 
  their 
  broods, 
  just 
  as 
  their 
  transported 
  

   fellows 
  do 
  in 
  the 
  coverts 
  of 
  England 
  and 
  America. 
  

  

  Photogravure 
  44. 
  HOME 
  OF 
  THE 
  PERSIAN 
  PHEASANT 
  IN 
  SOUTHERN 
  

   TRANSCASPIA 
  Facingpage 
  

  

  Photographs 
  by 
  Dwight 
  Huntington. 
  

  

  These 
  birds 
  live 
  in 
  vast 
  plains 
  either 
  covered 
  with 
  reeds, 
  or 
  else 
  bare, 
  with 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  steppes, 
  where 
  also 
  are 
  found 
  troops 
  of 
  wild 
  boars, 
  hyaenas 
  and 
  great 
  bustards. 
  They 
  feed 
  

   on 
  the 
  juniper 
  berries, 
  and 
  many 
  fly 
  at 
  night 
  for 
  safety 
  to 
  the 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  sluggish 
  rivers 
  to 
  

   avoid 
  their 
  enemies, 
  the 
  cheetahs 
  and 
  leopards. 
  

  

  HOME 
  OF 
  THE 
  PRINCE 
  OF 
  WALES'S 
  PHEASANT, 
  SOUTH 
  TURKESTAN 
  

  

  The 
  Murghab 
  River 
  is 
  muddy 
  and 
  turgid, 
  of 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  poor 
  coffee, 
  flowing 
  in 
  a 
  channel 
  

   of 
  brown 
  clay, 
  between 
  high 
  banks 
  which 
  are 
  ever 
  crumbling. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  the 
  river 
  becomes 
  

   a 
  terrible 
  torrent, 
  tearing 
  through 
  the 
  desert 
  with 
  irresistible 
  force, 
  forcing 
  all 
  living 
  creatures 
  

   far 
  from 
  their 
  normal 
  haunts 
  along 
  its 
  banks. 
  Here 
  this 
  pheasant 
  makes 
  its 
  home. 
  

  

  Photogravure 
  45. 
  HOME 
  OF 
  THE 
  MONGOLIAN 
  PHEASANT, 
  FEEDING- 
  

   GROUND 
  IN 
  THE 
  TIAN 
  SHAN 
  MOUNTAINS, 
  BREEDING 
  

   HAUNTS 
  IN 
  CHINESE 
  TURKESTAN 
  . 
  . 
  Facingpage 
  

  

  Photographs 
  by 
  Dwight 
  Huntington. 
  

  

  These 
  hardy 
  Ring-necks 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  tamarisk-covered 
  sand 
  dunes, 
  where 
  the 
  birds 
  can 
  

   never 
  even 
  know 
  what 
  a 
  tree 
  is, 
  or 
  they 
  inhabit 
  half-floating 
  reedy 
  islands, 
  or 
  they 
  haunt 
  culti- 
  

   vated 
  areas, 
  while 
  on 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  they 
  range 
  upward 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  four 
  thousand 
  

   feet, 
  living, 
  feeding 
  and 
  nesting 
  among 
  the 
  conifers 
  and 
  poplar 
  forests. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  summer 
  and 
  autumn 
  they 
  wander 
  far, 
  but 
  in 
  winter 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  compelled 
  to 
  search 
  

   for 
  the 
  yellow 
  berries 
  of 
  the 
  thorn 
  scrub, 
  and 
  are 
  strictly 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  areas 
  where 
  this 
  

   edible 
  grows. 
  

  

  