﻿GREEN 
  JAPANESE 
  PHEASANT 
  i 
  39 
  

  

  is 
  dominant 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  secondaries, 
  changing 
  to 
  greyish 
  brown, 
  while 
  the 
  buff 
  

   mottlings 
  become 
  several 
  oblique, 
  broken, 
  whitish 
  bars 
  and 
  a 
  narrow 
  outer 
  margin 
  of 
  

   the 
  same 
  colour 
  ; 
  the 
  primaries 
  show 
  no 
  radical 
  change 
  from 
  this 
  pattern, 
  the 
  inner 
  web 
  

   being 
  brown, 
  the 
  outer 
  greyer, 
  both 
  deeply 
  toothed 
  or 
  barred 
  with 
  triangular 
  whitish 
  

   patches 
  ; 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  greater 
  coverts 
  show 
  a 
  broad, 
  lateral, 
  deep 
  chestnut 
  margin. 
  

   The 
  under-plumage 
  is 
  a 
  deep, 
  metallic 
  green, 
  the 
  thighs 
  and 
  under 
  tail-coverts, 
  dead 
  

   black. 
  

  

  Tail 
  greenish 
  grey, 
  the 
  more 
  central 
  pairs 
  widely 
  fringed 
  with 
  purplish; 
  the 
  

   feathers 
  have 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  black, 
  elongate 
  marks 
  down 
  the 
  centre, 
  each 
  touching 
  the 
  shaft 
  ; 
  

   these 
  may 
  be 
  opposite 
  one 
  another, 
  forming 
  a 
  score 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  transverse 
  bands, 
  or 
  they 
  

   may 
  alternate, 
  one 
  after 
  the 
  other 
  ; 
  they 
  increase 
  in 
  size 
  toward 
  the 
  tip 
  ; 
  as 
  we 
  proceed 
  

   toward 
  the 
  outer 
  tail-feathers 
  these 
  black 
  marks 
  decrease, 
  the 
  outer 
  pairs 
  being 
  regularly 
  

   freckled 
  with 
  greenish 
  grey 
  and 
  black 
  ; 
  the 
  underside 
  of 
  the 
  feathers 
  is 
  very 
  unlike 
  the 
  

   upper, 
  being 
  solid 
  black, 
  with 
  the 
  wide, 
  disintegrated 
  fringe 
  chestnut. 
  

  

  The 
  ear-coverts 
  are 
  long 
  and 
  dead 
  black 
  ; 
  the 
  face, 
  except 
  for 
  the 
  sub-ocular 
  patch 
  

   and 
  the 
  lower 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  lores, 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  scarlet 
  flesh, 
  raised 
  into 
  papillae 
  and 
  

   dotted 
  with 
  short, 
  velvety 
  black 
  featherlets 
  ; 
  spurs, 
  short 
  and 
  stout. 
  

  

  Mandibles, 
  yellowish 
  or 
  dusky 
  horn 
  colour 
  ; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  black 
  or 
  dusky 
  ; 
  irides, 
  

   hazel. 
  Weight 
  3 
  to 
  4 
  lb. 
  Length, 
  770 
  mm. 
  ; 
  culmen, 
  33 
  ; 
  wing, 
  228 
  ; 
  tail, 
  365 
  ; 
  

   tarsus, 
  70 
  mm. 
  

  

  VARIATIONS 
  

  

  In 
  Japan 
  there 
  are 
  occasionally 
  brought 
  into 
  the 
  markets, 
  with 
  other 
  wild 
  shot 
  birds, 
  

   individuals 
  of 
  a 
  decided 
  greyish 
  tone. 
  These 
  differ 
  radically 
  and 
  regularly 
  from 
  normal 
  

   birds 
  and 
  seem 
  to 
  represent 
  a 
  feral 
  mutation. 
  I 
  shot 
  one 
  myself, 
  not, 
  however, 
  

   recognizing 
  it 
  as 
  unlike 
  the 
  other 
  two 
  birds 
  which 
  were 
  with 
  it. 
  When 
  I 
  saw 
  I 
  had 
  

   obtained 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  unusual 
  types 
  I 
  went 
  after 
  the 
  remaining 
  two, 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  secured 
  

   one, 
  and 
  found 
  it 
  normal 
  in 
  every 
  respect. 
  The 
  chief 
  distinction 
  is 
  the 
  almost 
  complete 
  

   loss 
  of 
  metallic 
  colouring, 
  a 
  condition 
  which 
  might 
  be 
  approximated 
  by 
  extreme 
  wear 
  

   and 
  tear 
  of 
  the 
  plumage. 
  But 
  the 
  bird 
  I 
  secured 
  was 
  newly 
  moulted, 
  and 
  wholly 
  lacks 
  

   the 
  metallic 
  colouring 
  on 
  head, 
  mantle 
  and 
  underparts. 
  The 
  feathers 
  are 
  a 
  greyish 
  

   black, 
  the 
  purple 
  area 
  being 
  marked 
  with 
  a 
  tinge 
  of 
  vinaceous, 
  while 
  the 
  underparts 
  

   have 
  a 
  faint, 
  dull 
  greenish 
  cast 
  in 
  some 
  lights. 
  The 
  scapulars 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  brilliant 
  

   touch 
  of 
  colour, 
  the 
  chestnut 
  being 
  but 
  slightly 
  dimmed. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  native 
  Japanese, 
  

   whom 
  I 
  questioned, 
  knew 
  of 
  this 
  form 
  and 
  had 
  a 
  special 
  name 
  for 
  it. 
  

  

  Adult 
  Female.— 
  The 
  hen 
  Japanese 
  Green 
  Pheasant 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  like 
  its 
  

   congeners 
  of 
  the 
  Asiatic 
  mainland 
  than 
  is 
  the 
  cock. 
  In 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  hen 
  of 
  

   cokhiais, 
  the 
  general 
  coloration 
  of 
  versicolor 
  is 
  much 
  darker 
  and 
  the 
  pattern 
  more 
  

   pronounced. 
  

  

  The 
  head 
  is 
  pale 
  sandy 
  buff, 
  with 
  the 
  crown 
  feathers 
  tinged 
  with 
  rufous 
  ; 
  a 
  black 
  

   shaft-stripe 
  gives 
  a 
  streaked 
  appearance 
  ; 
  a 
  broad 
  margin 
  on 
  the 
  neck 
  and 
  upper 
  mantle 
  

   feathers 
  is 
  pinkish 
  grey, 
  tipped 
  at 
  least 
  on 
  the 
  neck 
  with 
  bluish 
  ; 
  a 
  basal 
  shaft-stripe 
  is 
  

   chestnut, 
  while 
  a 
  broad, 
  black, 
  concentric 
  band 
  extends 
  quite 
  around 
  the 
  webs, 
  running 
  

   parallel 
  with 
  the 
  margin 
  ; 
  the 
  distal 
  visible 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  area 
  is 
  strongly 
  tinged 
  with 
  

  

  