﻿GREEN 
  JAPANESE 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  versicolor 
  Vieillot 
  

  

  Names. 
  — 
  Specific 
  : 
  versicolor, 
  Latin, 
  many-coloured. 
  English 
  : 
  Green 
  Japanese 
  Pheasant. 
  Vernacular 
  : 
  

   Kiji 
  (Japanese). 
  

  

  Type. 
  — 
  Describer 
  : 
  Vieillot. 
  Place 
  of 
  Description 
  : 
  Gal. 
  Ois. 
  II. 
  1825, 
  p. 
  23, 
  pi. 
  205. 
  

  

  Brief 
  DESCRIPTION.— 
  Male 
  : 
  Crown, 
  nape, 
  mantle, 
  throat, 
  breast 
  and 
  posterior 
  underparts 
  dark 
  metallic 
  

   green 
  ; 
  neck 
  all 
  around 
  rich 
  purple 
  ; 
  scapulars 
  coppery 
  red, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  mantle 
  black-centred 
  and 
  marked 
  with 
  

   concentric 
  lines 
  of 
  buff; 
  wing-coverts 
  bluish 
  slate 
  changing 
  to 
  greenish 
  on 
  rump 
  and 
  upper 
  tail-coverts; 
  tail 
  

   greenish 
  grey 
  barred 
  with 
  black 
  and 
  widely 
  fringed 
  with 
  purplish 
  ; 
  facial 
  skin 
  scarlet. 
  Female 
  : 
  In 
  general 
  sandy 
  

   brown, 
  barred 
  and 
  marked 
  with 
  black; 
  neck 
  and 
  upper 
  mantle 
  decidedly 
  pinkish, 
  the 
  centre 
  wholly 
  black 
  with 
  

   a 
  wide 
  tip 
  of 
  metallic 
  green 
  ; 
  lores, 
  chin 
  and 
  throat 
  clear 
  sandy 
  buff; 
  patch 
  below 
  eyes 
  white 
  ; 
  underparts 
  buff 
  

   strongly 
  barred 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  tail 
  pinkish 
  buff, 
  chestnut 
  towards 
  shaft, 
  and 
  barred 
  with 
  black 
  and 
  pale 
  buff. 
  

  

  Range. 
  — 
  The 
  islands 
  of 
  Japan 
  except 
  Yezo. 
  

  

  THE 
  BIRD 
  IN 
  ITS 
  WILD 
  HOME 
  

  

  Wrapped 
  closely 
  in 
  one's 
  blanket 
  on 
  the 
  matting 
  of 
  a 
  tiny 
  Japanese 
  inn, 
  one 
  is 
  

   awakened 
  by 
  the 
  warm 
  sun's 
  rays 
  shining 
  brightly 
  through 
  the 
  rice-paper 
  walls. 
  It 
  

   was 
  good 
  to 
  shove 
  these 
  aside 
  and 
  creep 
  out 
  upon 
  the 
  diminutive 
  verandah 
  and 
  there 
  to 
  

   thaw 
  out 
  the 
  chill 
  of 
  the 
  freezing 
  February 
  night. 
  The 
  water 
  in 
  a 
  near-by 
  pool 
  had 
  

   a 
  skim 
  of 
  ice, 
  and 
  the 
  field 
  labourers 
  going 
  past 
  were 
  enswathed 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  clothing 
  and 
  

   kerchiefs 
  they 
  possessed. 
  But 
  by 
  the 
  time 
  breakfast 
  was 
  over 
  and 
  I 
  started 
  upon 
  my 
  

   quest, 
  with 
  many 
  bows 
  and 
  murmured 
  flatteries 
  to 
  mine 
  host, 
  the 
  air 
  had 
  the 
  life 
  and 
  

   tang 
  of 
  early 
  spring, 
  which 
  made 
  one 
  glad 
  to 
  be 
  alive. 
  

  

  I 
  crossed 
  a 
  creek 
  by 
  a 
  long 
  bridge, 
  each 
  span 
  forming 
  a 
  fraction 
  of 
  a 
  circle, 
  and 
  

   tramped 
  for 
  a 
  half 
  mile 
  over 
  the 
  foot-paths 
  bounding 
  rice-fields, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  under 
  

   water. 
  A 
  slope 
  led 
  past 
  long, 
  double 
  rows 
  of 
  bright 
  green, 
  sprouting 
  barley, 
  while 
  here 
  

   and 
  there 
  patches 
  of 
  clear 
  yellow 
  mustard 
  glowed 
  as 
  if 
  with 
  a 
  light 
  of 
  their 
  own. 
  

  

  A 
  backward 
  glance 
  showed 
  a 
  view 
  far 
  from 
  wintry, 
  although 
  the 
  frost 
  still 
  crackled 
  

   in 
  the 
  hollows 
  under 
  our 
  shoes. 
  The 
  Inland 
  Sea, 
  dotted 
  with 
  emerald 
  islets, 
  glittered 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  fields. 
  A 
  diminutive 
  farm-house 
  to 
  the 
  left 
  was 
  overhung 
  with 
  

   feathery-fronded 
  palms 
  and 
  a 
  hedge 
  of 
  orange 
  trees 
  — 
  the 
  green 
  foliage 
  dotted 
  with 
  

   hundreds 
  of 
  full-sized 
  fruit, 
  like 
  the 
  lanterns 
  of 
  a 
  tea-house 
  during 
  festival. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  distance 
  a 
  pink 
  and 
  white 
  mist 
  revealed 
  an 
  orchard 
  of 
  plum 
  trees 
  in 
  full 
  

   flower, 
  and 
  even 
  at 
  this 
  distance 
  their 
  perfume 
  was 
  strong 
  on 
  the 
  air. 
  Yet 
  a 
  few 
  hours 
  

   ago 
  I 
  was 
  shivering 
  in 
  a 
  sleety 
  snowstorm 
  straight 
  from 
  the 
  white-enshrouded 
  form 
  of 
  

   Fuji. 
  

  

  On 
  and 
  on 
  I 
  went, 
  and 
  at 
  last 
  reached 
  a 
  hillock 
  rising 
  abruptly 
  from 
  the 
  cultivated 
  

   plain. 
  It 
  was 
  almost 
  barren— 
  the 
  brown 
  dead 
  grass 
  relieved 
  only 
  by 
  a 
  few 
  stunted 
  

   pines. 
  No 
  dwellings 
  were 
  upon 
  its 
  slopes— 
  the 
  earthquakes 
  making 
  such 
  a 
  situation 
  

  

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