﻿CAUCASIAN 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasi 
  cuius 
  cole 
  Mats 
  

  

  This 
  pheasant 
  has 
  been 
  separated 
  into 
  three 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distinct 
  subspecific 
  forms, 
  

   septentrionalis, 
  colchicus 
  and 
  talischensis. 
  All 
  of 
  these 
  inhabit 
  the 
  Caucasian 
  region 
  

   between 
  the 
  Black 
  and 
  Caspian 
  Seas, 
  extending 
  into 
  Russia 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  

   Astrakhan, 
  and 
  into 
  northern 
  Persia 
  on 
  the 
  south. 
  One 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  these 
  were 
  the 
  

   original 
  components 
  of 
  the 
  so-called 
  common 
  or 
  English 
  pheasant, 
  and 
  when 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  

   these 
  hybrids 
  an 
  excess 
  of 
  colchicus 
  blood 
  has 
  restricted 
  or 
  entirely 
  supplanted 
  the 
  white 
  

   torquatus 
  collar, 
  and 
  the 
  bird 
  in 
  general 
  resembles 
  the 
  present 
  form, 
  it 
  is 
  usually 
  called 
  

   the 
  Black-necked 
  Pheasant. 
  

  

  Names. 
  — 
  Generic 
  : 
  Phasianus, 
  Greek, 
  j>aaiav6<;, 
  a 
  pheasant, 
  the 
  Phasian 
  bird, 
  from 
  Phasis, 
  <3>a<m, 
  a 
  river 
  in 
  

   Colchis, 
  near 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  which 
  these 
  birds 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  numerous. 
  Specific 
  : 
  colchicus, 
  from 
  the 
  region 
  

   Colchis, 
  now 
  Mingrelia, 
  in 
  western 
  Trans-Caucasia. 
  English: 
  Caucasian 
  or 
  Black-necked 
  Pheasant. 
  French: 
  

   Faisan 
  de 
  Colchide. 
  German 
  : 
  Jagdfasan. 
  

  

  BRIEF 
  DESCRIPTION.— 
  Male 
  : 
  Centre 
  of 
  the 
  crown 
  bronze 
  green 
  ; 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  dark 
  green 
  ; 
  neck 
  

   purple; 
  mantle, 
  breast 
  and 
  flanks 
  coppery 
  orange, 
  margined 
  narrowly 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  plumage 
  and 
  more 
  broadly 
  

   on 
  the 
  lower 
  with 
  black, 
  glossed 
  with 
  purple, 
  green 
  blue 
  or 
  violet; 
  upper 
  back 
  and 
  scapulars 
  basally 
  with 
  con- 
  

   centric 
  lines 
  of 
  black 
  and 
  buff, 
  widely 
  fringed 
  with 
  purplish 
  lake; 
  lower 
  back, 
  rump 
  and 
  upper 
  tail-coverts 
  red 
  

   maroon, 
  glossed 
  with 
  purplish 
  lake; 
  wing-coverts 
  sandy 
  brown; 
  mid-breast 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  abdomen 
  dark 
  purplish 
  

   green; 
  mid-abdomen 
  dark 
  brown 
  mixed 
  with 
  rufous; 
  tail-feathers 
  olive 
  down 
  the 
  centre, 
  with 
  narrow, 
  wide-set 
  

   black 
  bars, 
  and 
  widely 
  fringed 
  on 
  each 
  margin 
  with 
  rufous, 
  glossed 
  with 
  purplish 
  lake. 
  Female 
  : 
  General 
  colour 
  

   sandy 
  brown 
  barred 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  back 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  neck 
  pinkish 
  with 
  metallic 
  purple 
  or 
  green 
  margins 
  ; 
  mantle, 
  

   sides 
  of 
  breast 
  and 
  flanks 
  chestnut 
  with 
  black 
  centres 
  and 
  pinkish-grey 
  margins 
  ; 
  an 
  elongate 
  patch 
  of 
  white, 
  

   black-tipped 
  feathers 
  below 
  the 
  eyes 
  ; 
  tail 
  reddish 
  brown 
  down 
  the 
  middle, 
  shading 
  laterally 
  into 
  sandy 
  olive, 
  with 
  

   wide 
  irregular 
  bars 
  of 
  black 
  and 
  buff. 
  

  

  GEOGRAPHICAL 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  

  

  Considering 
  for 
  a 
  moment 
  the 
  Caucasian 
  forms 
  of 
  colchicus 
  as 
  a 
  single 
  group, 
  

   Dr. 
  Radde 
  has 
  presented 
  us 
  with 
  the 
  most 
  exact 
  information. 
  In 
  the 
  entire 
  Caucasus 
  

   it 
  is 
  only 
  rarely 
  that 
  these 
  pheasants 
  are 
  found 
  at 
  an 
  altitude 
  higher 
  than 
  twenty-five 
  

   hundred 
  feet. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  exceptions 
  have 
  been 
  noted, 
  especially 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  haunts, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  rule 
  for 
  these 
  birds 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  steppes 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  

   to 
  ascend 
  the 
  mountains 
  during 
  the 
  warm 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  The 
  general 
  rule 
  regard- 
  

   ing 
  elevation 
  is 
  confirmed 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  western 
  limit 
  of 
  distribution, 
  on 
  the 
  plains 
  

   of 
  Suram, 
  is 
  at 
  a 
  mean 
  elevation 
  of 
  twenty-two 
  hundred 
  feet. 
  Above 
  the 
  ravine 
  of 
  

   Borshon 
  at 
  Azkur 
  and 
  Achalzick, 
  pheasants 
  have 
  never 
  been 
  seen. 
  The 
  neighbourhood 
  

   of 
  Nuchas 
  and 
  Schemacha, 
  the 
  plains 
  bounded 
  by 
  the 
  Alasan 
  and 
  the 
  Kura, 
  and 
  many 
  

   other 
  places 
  at 
  corresponding 
  elevations, 
  mark 
  the 
  upper 
  limits 
  of 
  distribution 
  of 
  this 
  

   bird. 
  In 
  the 
  lowlands 
  of 
  Lienkora 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  pheasants 
  is 
  decided 
  rather 
  by 
  the 
  

  

  7 
  6 
  

  

  