﻿viii 
  LIST 
  OF 
  COLOURED 
  PLATES 
  

  

  Plate 
  XLIX. 
  CHEER 
  PHEASANT 
  Catreus 
  wallichii 
  (Hardwicke) 
  . 
  . 
  Facing 
  page 
  50 
  

  

  Painted 
  by 
  L. 
  A. 
  Fuertes. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  my 
  camp 
  in 
  a 
  deep 
  Garhwal 
  valley, 
  and 
  working 
  up 
  through 
  the 
  soft-needled 
  

   forest 
  of 
  deodars 
  and 
  spruces, 
  I 
  came 
  suddenly, 
  without 
  warning, 
  upon 
  bare 
  open 
  ground. 
  I 
  

   pass 
  over 
  a 
  low 
  ridge, 
  and 
  instead 
  of 
  the 
  shaded, 
  densely-wooded 
  slopes, 
  I 
  find 
  rocky, 
  grass- 
  

   covered 
  ledges 
  dropping 
  down 
  in 
  jagged 
  terraces, 
  and, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  rising 
  steeply 
  to 
  

   where 
  the 
  stern 
  profile 
  of 
  the 
  summit 
  is 
  silhouetted 
  against 
  the 
  fleecy 
  clouds. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  home 
  of 
  the 
  Cheer. 
  Although 
  protectively 
  coloured 
  when 
  crouched 
  in 
  the 
  half- 
  

   dead 
  grass, 
  they 
  are 
  conspicuous 
  when 
  in 
  full 
  flight. 
  The 
  golden 
  and 
  green 
  sheen 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  

   and 
  rump 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  their 
  headlong 
  rush 
  sometimes 
  catches 
  the 
  glint 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  and 
  in 
  

   sudden 
  turns 
  the 
  tail 
  flares 
  out 
  into 
  a 
  streaming 
  cross-barred 
  train, 
  forming 
  a 
  marvellous 
  spot 
  

   of 
  pattern 
  and 
  colour. 
  

  

  Plate 
  L. 
  RION 
  CAUCASIAN 
  PHEASANT 
  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  Linni 
  Facingpage 
  80 
  

  

  Painted 
  by 
  H. 
  Jones. 
  

  

  This 
  pheasant, 
  living 
  between 
  the 
  Black 
  and 
  the 
  Caspian 
  Seas, 
  is 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  its 
  entire 
  

   group, 
  and 
  probably 
  the 
  same 
  bird 
  which 
  was 
  brought 
  by 
  the 
  Romans 
  to 
  England, 
  known 
  

   commonly 
  as 
  the 
  English 
  or 
  Black-necked 
  Pheasant. 
  It 
  has 
  since 
  been 
  introduced 
  into 
  many 
  

   parts 
  of 
  Europe, 
  Asia 
  and 
  America, 
  and 
  thrives 
  in 
  almost 
  any 
  temperate 
  climate. 
  In 
  many 
  

   places 
  it 
  has 
  satisfactorily 
  replaced 
  the 
  indigenous 
  game-birds, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  driven 
  out 
  by 
  

   advancing 
  civilization. 
  

  

  Plate 
  LI. 
  PRINCE 
  OF 
  WALES'S 
  PHEASANT 
  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  principalis 
  

  

  Sclater 
  .......... 
  Facing 
  page 
  88 
  

  

  Painted 
  by 
  H. 
  Jones. 
  

  

  This 
  splendid 
  bird 
  lives 
  in 
  southern 
  Turkestan 
  in 
  the 
  great 
  Mero 
  Oasis. 
  In 
  north-western 
  

   Afghanistan 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  tamarisk 
  and 
  grass 
  jungle 
  growing 
  in 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

   It 
  wades 
  and 
  even 
  swims 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  these 
  marshes, 
  but 
  feeds 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  open, 
  dry 
  

   country. 
  

  

  This 
  form 
  has 
  been 
  successfully 
  introduced 
  into 
  England 
  and 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  Plate 
  LII. 
  KIRGHIZ 
  MONGOLIAN 
  PHEASANT 
  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  mongolicus 
  

  

  Brandt 
  ......... 
  Facingpage 
  96 
  

  

  Painted 
  by 
  H. 
  Jones. 
  

  

  This 
  splendid 
  northern 
  Ring-neck 
  ranges 
  over 
  an 
  amazing 
  diversity 
  of 
  country 
  in 
  the 
  

   heart 
  of 
  Asia. 
  They 
  are 
  fast 
  runners 
  and 
  high-flyers 
  and 
  afford 
  magnificent 
  sport 
  on 
  the 
  

   steppes 
  and 
  sand 
  dunes 
  where 
  they 
  make 
  their 
  home. 
  In 
  the 
  winter 
  the 
  Kirghiz 
  practice 
  

   falconry 
  with 
  enthusiasm, 
  and 
  their 
  favourite 
  sport 
  is 
  flying 
  goshawks 
  at 
  pheasants. 
  

  

  Plate 
  LIII. 
  TARIM 
  PHEASANT 
  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  tarimensis 
  Pleske 
  . 
  Facingpage 
  102 
  

   Painted 
  by 
  H. 
  Jones. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  poplar 
  forests 
  along 
  the 
  Tarim 
  River 
  these 
  birds 
  live 
  in 
  covies, 
  depending 
  on 
  

   berries 
  for 
  food 
  during 
  the 
  hard 
  winters 
  and 
  often 
  compelled 
  to 
  roost 
  on 
  the 
  slight 
  branches 
  

   of 
  the 
  poplars 
  to 
  avoid 
  their 
  enemies 
  on 
  the 
  ground. 
  Besides 
  the 
  foxes 
  and 
  smaller 
  vermin, 
  

   they 
  look 
  down 
  from 
  their 
  perch 
  upon 
  troops 
  of 
  wild 
  pig 
  and 
  wild 
  camels, 
  which 
  pad 
  softly 
  

   over 
  the 
  sand, 
  while 
  overhead 
  flocks 
  of 
  wild 
  geese 
  drive 
  northward 
  almost 
  before 
  the 
  ice 
  breaks 
  

   from 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  pools. 
  

  

  Plate 
  LIV. 
  STRAUCH'S 
  PHEASANT 
  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  strauchi 
  Prjewalski 
  

  

  Painted 
  by 
  H.Jones. 
  Facingpage 
  106 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  wooded 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  Kansu 
  Mountains, 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  

   above 
  the 
  sea, 
  Strauch's 
  Pheasant 
  makes 
  its 
  home. 
  It 
  varies 
  widely 
  in 
  character 
  of 
  plumage 
  

   and 
  on 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  its 
  range 
  approaches 
  the 
  neighbouring 
  forms. 
  From 
  six 
  to 
  twelve 
  eggs 
  

   are 
  laid, 
  and 
  in 
  these 
  tumbled 
  mountains 
  the 
  pheasants 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  strictly 
  monogamous, 
  

   the 
  cock 
  aiding 
  in 
  the 
  care 
  of 
  the 
  young, 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  great 
  flat 
  plains 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  where 
  food 
  

   is 
  more 
  abundant 
  and 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  so 
  much 
  more 
  numerous. 
  

  

  