16 CIRCULAR 9 6, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



CHEER PHEASANT 



The cheer pheasant (Catreus imlHchii), an alert, crested bird 

 of the west-central Himalayas, seems adapted to fill a niche for 

 which there is no native bird of real sporting class. This pheasant 

 lives in coveys among precipices covered with heathlike vegetation 

 on the edges of rainy forested areas of from 4,000 to 10,000 feet 

 elevation and would seem a valuable species for introduction to 

 similar situations from northern California to Washington. 



OTHER PHEASANTS 



The pheasant race includes species suited to a greater variety of 

 habitats than this country has to offer. It can not be hoped to accli- 

 matize the species of tropical jungles, though if it could be given sufli- 



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Figure 12. — Silver pheasants. (Photo by Samuel Evans) 



cient protection, the Siamese crested fireback (Lophura diardi), 

 of Siam and Cochin China, might be established in humid jungle 

 country of Florida. If game birds are desired for country of from 

 9,000 to 16,000 feet elevation, the introduction of some of the blood 

 pheasants (Ithagenes sp.) could be attempted,, although the difficulties 

 in the case of these birds of the mountains would be tremendous. 

 They keep close to the snow line at all seasons and probably would 

 have to be transported in artifically cooled vivariums. As they are 

 runners rather than flyers, they are not in the first rank of game 

 species. The Cascades and southern Allegheny Mountains should 

 prove hospitable to some of the other pheasants, such as the tragopans, 



(Tragopan sp.), kaleeges (Gennaeus sp.) (including the common 

 silver pheasant,, G. nycthemerus, fig. 12), and the copper pheasants, 



(/Syrmaticus soemmerringi) . 





