﻿PHOTOGRAVURE 
  47 
  

  

  MONGOLIAN 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  mongolicus 
  Brandt 
  

  

  ZERAFSHAN 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  zerafshanicus 
  Tarnovski 
  

  

  TARIM 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  tarimensis 
  Pleske 
  

  

  The 
  wildest 
  and 
  bleakest 
  river 
  basins 
  of 
  central 
  Asia 
  are 
  inhabited 
  by 
  pheasants. 
  Now 
  and 
  then 
  

   a 
  ragged 
  caravan 
  passes, 
  hastening 
  across 
  the 
  deserts 
  from 
  one 
  source 
  of 
  water 
  supply 
  to 
  the 
  next, 
  a 
  

   line 
  of 
  camels 
  bearing 
  tea 
  or 
  grain. 
  When 
  the 
  rivers 
  are 
  in 
  flood 
  and 
  spread 
  out 
  across 
  the 
  deserts, 
  

   the 
  birds 
  wander 
  far, 
  and 
  roost 
  at 
  night 
  among 
  the 
  ruins 
  of 
  half-buried 
  and 
  wholly 
  forgotten 
  cities. 
  

   Rarely 
  an 
  explorer 
  makes 
  his 
  way 
  through, 
  mapping 
  the 
  valleys, 
  shooting 
  a 
  few 
  specimens, 
  and 
  passing 
  

   on 
  never 
  to 
  return. 
  

  

  