﻿REEVES'S 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Syrmaticus 
  reevesi 
  (Gray) 
  

  

  Names. 
  — 
  Generic 
  : 
  Syrmaticus, 
  Latin, 
  syrmaticus, 
  dragging 
  or 
  trailing, 
  from 
  the 
  Latin 
  syrma, 
  a 
  robe 
  with 
  a 
  

   train. 
  Given 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  long, 
  trailing 
  tail-feathers. 
  Specific 
  : 
  reevesi, 
  after 
  a 
  Mr. 
  Reeves, 
  who 
  brought 
  

   the 
  first 
  living 
  bird 
  to 
  Europe. 
  English: 
  Reeves's 
  or 
  Bar-tailed 
  Pheasant. 
  French: 
  Le 
  Faisan 
  Superbe. 
  

   Faisan 
  bronze. 
  German 
  : 
  Konigsfasan. 
  Native 
  : 
  Chi-ky 
  ; 
  Djeu-ky 
  (Arrow-fowl, 
  Chinese). 
  

  

  Brief 
  Description.— 
  Male 
  : 
  Crown 
  white, 
  surrounded 
  with 
  a 
  black 
  band 
  extending 
  from 
  forehead 
  to 
  

   occiput 
  ; 
  chin, 
  throat 
  and 
  nape 
  white, 
  margined 
  below 
  by 
  a 
  black 
  collar 
  ; 
  upper 
  parts 
  cinnamon, 
  wing-coverts 
  

   white, 
  bordered 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  lower 
  plumage 
  somewhat 
  similar, 
  chiefly 
  white 
  margined 
  with 
  chestnut, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   flanks 
  with 
  buff; 
  remainder 
  of 
  under 
  parts 
  black; 
  central 
  pair 
  of 
  tail-feathers 
  greatly 
  elongated 
  averaging 
  five 
  

   feet 
  in 
  length, 
  white 
  down 
  the 
  centre, 
  buff 
  on 
  the 
  sides, 
  barred 
  with 
  black 
  and 
  chestnut 
  ; 
  outer 
  pairs 
  tipped 
  with 
  

   black. 
  Female 
  : 
  Crown 
  reddish 
  brown 
  ; 
  rest 
  of 
  head 
  buff, 
  with 
  ear-coverts 
  and 
  a 
  nuchal 
  band 
  blackish 
  ; 
  upper 
  

   mantle 
  rufous, 
  tipped 
  with 
  grey, 
  mottled 
  with 
  black, 
  and 
  with 
  wide 
  white 
  spot 
  ; 
  rest 
  of 
  upper 
  parts 
  mottled 
  with 
  

   grey, 
  buff 
  and 
  rufous, 
  wing-coverts 
  with 
  buff 
  and 
  the 
  lower 
  back 
  with 
  black 
  shaft-stripes 
  ; 
  anterior 
  under 
  parts 
  

   somewhat 
  like 
  mantle, 
  but 
  with 
  smaller 
  white 
  spots 
  ; 
  rest 
  of 
  under 
  plumage 
  pale 
  buff; 
  central 
  tail-feathers 
  mottled 
  

   with 
  sandy, 
  buff 
  and 
  black 
  and 
  about 
  sixteen 
  inches 
  long; 
  outer 
  ones 
  chestnut, 
  mixed 
  with 
  black, 
  and 
  barred 
  and 
  

   tipped 
  with 
  white. 
  

  

  Range. 
  — 
  Central 
  and 
  northern 
  China. 
  

  

  THE 
  BIRD 
  IN 
  ITS 
  HAUNTS 
  

  

  Certain 
  mid-reaches 
  of 
  the 
  Yangtse 
  River 
  bring 
  vividly 
  to 
  mind 
  descriptions 
  of 
  the 
  

   rounds 
  of 
  Purgatory 
  : 
  the 
  black, 
  frowning 
  cliffs, 
  rising 
  sheer 
  hundreds 
  of 
  feet 
  above 
  either 
  

   bank, 
  the 
  gnarled, 
  stunted 
  vegetation, 
  deformed 
  by 
  the 
  elements 
  and 
  scanty 
  nourishment, 
  

   and 
  between, 
  the 
  dark 
  rushing 
  river, 
  swirling 
  through 
  gorges, 
  foaming 
  over 
  rocks, 
  or 
  in 
  

   even 
  more 
  sinister 
  manner, 
  eddying 
  over 
  submerged 
  obstructions 
  ! 
  

  

  The 
  elements, 
  too, 
  do 
  their 
  part 
  : 
  the 
  sweltering, 
  humid 
  summer 
  sun, 
  making 
  of 
  the 
  

   days 
  one 
  long 
  blistering 
  cauldron, 
  and 
  in 
  winter, 
  the 
  freezing, 
  dark 
  mists 
  searching 
  one's 
  

   very 
  marrow. 
  For 
  a 
  brief 
  time, 
  in 
  spring 
  and 
  autumn, 
  one 
  may 
  view 
  the 
  country 
  

   through 
  rosier 
  glasses, 
  temperate 
  winds, 
  moderate 
  warmth, 
  but 
  even 
  then 
  the 
  land 
  is 
  

   forbidding, 
  the 
  stream 
  treacherous. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  on 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  purgatorial 
  days 
  that 
  I 
  set 
  forth 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  Reeves's 
  

   Pheasant. 
  Leaving 
  my 
  mat-roofed 
  sampan 
  on 
  the 
  gravel 
  where 
  a 
  small 
  side 
  stream 
  

   made 
  its 
  way 
  down 
  through 
  a 
  narrow 
  valley, 
  I 
  slung 
  my 
  glasses 
  in 
  place 
  and 
  started 
  to 
  

   climb. 
  I 
  had 
  not 
  ascended 
  fifty 
  feet 
  when 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  Chinamen 
  came 
  into 
  view 
  around 
  

   a 
  bend 
  in 
  the 
  river, 
  well 
  worthy 
  of 
  their 
  surroundings. 
  Closely 
  packed 
  together, 
  they 
  

   screamed 
  and 
  yelled 
  like 
  wild 
  beasts, 
  bending 
  almost 
  double, 
  exerting 
  every 
  ounce 
  of 
  

   strength 
  in 
  their 
  bodies. 
  A 
  moment 
  later 
  and 
  I 
  saw 
  that 
  their 
  form 
  of 
  expiation 
  was 
  to 
  

   drag 
  ever 
  onward 
  a 
  big, 
  awkwardly-built 
  boat 
  against 
  the 
  surging 
  torrent. 
  At 
  times 
  it 
  

   seemed 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  water 
  would 
  win, 
  each 
  man 
  and 
  woman 
  flattened, 
  almost 
  prostrate, 
  

   clinging 
  to 
  boulders, 
  working 
  their 
  toes 
  into 
  crevices, 
  their 
  faces 
  distorted 
  into 
  cruel 
  

   bestial 
  lines, 
  and 
  ever 
  the 
  harsh 
  cries 
  and 
  screams 
  rang 
  out, 
  without 
  rhyme 
  or 
  rhythm. 
  

  

  VOL. 
  Ill 
  145 
  U 
  

  

  