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



GOLDEN AND LADY AMHERST PHEASANTS 



The golden pheasant (C hrysolophus pictus) and the Lady Amherst 

 pheasant (C '. amherstiae) (fig. 10), also from the mountains of 

 China, have plumage that is as wonderful in form as it is glorious 

 in color. Their brilliant feathers have won for them in their native 

 land the names of " fowl of gold," and " flower fowl." Both species 

 are readily obtained and easily reared, both are hardy, and both have 

 been acclimatized in Ireland and Great Britain. They are runners 

 rather than fliers, however, and hence do not rank high as objects of 

 sport. Probably they will do best in this country in districts having 

 plenty of rainfall and a rather higher mean annual temperature than 

 in the Northern States. 



JAPANESE PHEASANT 



The Japanese pheasant (Phasiawus versicolor), an inhabitant of 

 the mountains of Japan up to 5,000 feet elevation, is the most 

 gorgeously colored of the common, or ring-necked, group of pheas- 

 ants. Although good flyers, the birds show little disposition to 

 stray. They cross freely with other pheasants of their group, and 

 as is usual in such cases the hybrids seem to be even more desirable 

 from the sporting point of view than the parent races. This bird 

 will succeed anywhere that the ring-necked pheasant does, 



INDIAN PEAFOWL 



The Indian, or common, peafowl (Pavo cristatus), the remain- 

 ing species of the pheasant family that is known to have been 

 established in countries far from its native home, is so frequent in 

 domestication as to be familiar to all. The peafowl was brought 

 by the early Phoenician voyagers from India to the Pharaohs of 

 Egypt; the bird is mentioned in the Bible, figured in Greek myth- 

 ology, and later was symbolized in heraldry. The display of its 

 elaborately and gorgeously colored upper tail coverts, which it 

 spreads as it struts, has won the admiration of all observers. Its 

 feathers are reputed to bring ill luck to their possessors, a bit of 

 superstition that no doubt has often aided the bird in keeping them 

 for its own purposes. The Indian peafowl, originally an inhabitant 

 of low hot countries, even of deserts, is said to be extensively ac- 

 climatized in Hungary, has become naturalized in the Andaman 

 Islands and St. Helena, and in this country has generally proved 

 able to care for itself with the sole assistance of some grain-feeding. 

 The birds thrive in large city parks and zoological gardens in all 

 parts of the land and in various localities have maintained them- 

 selves practically in a wild state. At times they exhibit their 

 strong powers of flight by getting up in the air and flying for miles. 

 The peafowl are not likely to prove satisfactory object of sport, but 

 they are unsurpassed as living ornaments for large estates. 



