﻿KIRGHIZ 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  mongolicus 
  Brandt 
  

  

  NAMES.— 
  Subspecific 
  : 
  mongolicus, 
  from 
  Mongolia; 
  a 
  name 
  given 
  on 
  the 
  principle 
  of 
  lucus 
  a 
  non 
  lucendo 
  

   as 
  the 
  bird 
  barely 
  enters 
  the 
  extreme 
  western 
  part. 
  English 
  : 
  Mongolian 
  or 
  Kirghiz 
  Ring-necked 
  Pheasant. 
  

  

  Type. 
  — 
  Locality: 
  Altai. 
  Describer 
  : 
  Brandt. 
  Place 
  of 
  Description: 
  Bull. 
  Ac. 
  Sc. 
  St. 
  Petersb., 
  III. 
  1844 
  

   p. 
  51. 
  

  

  SUBSPECIFIC 
  Characters. 
  — 
  Male 
  : 
  Distinguished 
  from 
  all 
  the 
  red 
  and 
  maroon-rumped 
  species 
  already 
  

   described 
  except 
  turcestanicus 
  by 
  a 
  broad 
  white 
  ring 
  around 
  the 
  neck, 
  interrupted 
  in 
  front. 
  In 
  general 
  it 
  resembles 
  

   the 
  Persian 
  Pheasant, 
  but 
  the 
  mantle, 
  chest 
  and 
  breast 
  are 
  bronzy 
  orange-red, 
  showing 
  purple-carmine 
  in 
  one 
  

   light 
  and 
  green 
  in 
  another 
  ; 
  breast 
  and 
  flanks 
  tipped 
  with 
  blackish 
  green 
  ; 
  centre 
  of 
  breast 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  abdomen 
  

   dark 
  green. 
  Female 
  : 
  Similar 
  to 
  the 
  female 
  of 
  chrysomelas 
  but 
  with 
  a 
  black 
  spot 
  near 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  each 
  feather 
  of 
  

   the 
  upper 
  mantle, 
  and 
  a 
  black 
  bar 
  across 
  the 
  middle 
  instead 
  of 
  a 
  broad, 
  black, 
  submarginal 
  border. 
  From 
  

   turcestanicus 
  it 
  differs 
  in 
  the 
  very 
  distinct 
  break 
  in 
  the 
  forepart 
  of 
  the 
  white 
  collar, 
  while 
  the 
  mantle, 
  chest 
  and 
  

   dark 
  spots 
  of 
  the 
  flanks 
  are 
  glossed 
  with 
  green 
  instead 
  of 
  blue 
  or 
  violet. 
  

  

  GEOGRAPHICAL 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  

  

  The 
  Kirghiz 
  country 
  in 
  the 
  north-eastern 
  part 
  of 
  Russian 
  Turkestan, 
  in 
  the 
  

   province 
  of 
  Semiretshensk 
  and 
  part 
  of 
  Semipalatinsk. 
  Also 
  the 
  Chinese 
  Province 
  of 
  

   Kuldja 
  including 
  the 
  basins 
  of 
  Lakes 
  Issyk-kul, 
  Balkash, 
  Ala-kul 
  and 
  Zaisan 
  together 
  

   with 
  their 
  tributaries. 
  To 
  the 
  East 
  in 
  the 
  Tian-Shan, 
  it 
  reaches 
  high 
  altitudes 
  along 
  

   the 
  valleys 
  of 
  Tekes 
  and 
  Kunges, 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Hi, 
  and 
  thence 
  onward, 
  throughout 
  

   southern 
  Dzungaria 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Guchen. 
  

  

  GENERAL 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  south-east 
  the 
  enormous 
  Tian-Shan 
  serve 
  as 
  the 
  boundary 
  between 
  the 
  

   Kirghiz 
  Pheasant 
  and 
  both 
  shawi 
  and 
  tarimensis, 
  while 
  on 
  the 
  south-west 
  the 
  Alexander 
  

   and 
  Karatan 
  Mountains 
  intervene 
  to 
  a 
  less 
  extent 
  between 
  it 
  and 
  turcestanicus. 
  On 
  

   the 
  north-west 
  the 
  Altai 
  Mountains 
  form 
  somewhat 
  of 
  a 
  barrier 
  between 
  it 
  and 
  hagen- 
  

   becki, 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  eastern, 
  grey-rumped 
  group 
  of 
  pheasants. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Douglas 
  Carruthers 
  ("The 
  Field," 
  Vol. 
  CXX. 
  No. 
  31 
  12) 
  gives 
  a 
  vivid 
  account 
  

   of 
  Mongolian 
  Pheasant 
  shooting. 
  Although 
  he 
  includes 
  the 
  Syr-Daria 
  bird, 
  yet 
  his 
  actual 
  

   shooting 
  experiences 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  very 
  heart 
  of 
  typical 
  Mongolian 
  Pheasant 
  country. 
  

  

  "The 
  Mongolian 
  pheasant, 
  which 
  is 
  so 
  well 
  known 
  in 
  Europe 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  

   introduction 
  as 
  a 
  breeding 
  agent, 
  has 
  ' 
  the 
  heart 
  of 
  Asia 
  ' 
  as 
  its 
  abode 
  and 
  the 
  Hi 
  valley 
  

   as 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  its 
  range. 
  Westwards, 
  it 
  wanders 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  Syr-Daria 
  and 
  the 
  

   Aral 
  Sea, 
  and 
  eastwards 
  to 
  the 
  Black 
  Irtish, 
  under 
  the 
  great 
  Altai 
  ; 
  whilst 
  the 
  rivers 
  of 
  

   Dzungaria 
  — 
  the 
  Borotala 
  and 
  the 
  Manas 
  — 
  also 
  support 
  an 
  immense 
  stock 
  of 
  these 
  

   birds. 
  The 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  Mongolian 
  pheasant 
  is 
  separated 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Zarafshan 
  

   bird 
  by 
  a 
  zone 
  of 
  barren 
  desert. 
  It 
  is 
  barriered 
  by 
  the 
  giant 
  Tian-Shan 
  range 
  from 
  

   the 
  haunts 
  of 
  the 
  Tarim 
  and 
  Yarkand 
  varieties, 
  and 
  the 
  Altai 
  Mountains 
  separate 
  it 
  on 
  

  

  96 
  

  

  