7 BLAS EE Ch 
The beauty of all thefe varieties are, however, eclipfed by the | 
Argus Pheafant ; and probably, were we better acquainted with the 
Phafianus fuperbus, and fome other gigantic Chinefe {pecies*, we 
might place them among the moft brilliant of the feathered race. 
At what period of time the Pheafant was introduced into this 
Country, it is impo%ble now to afcertain. ‘They have, in all pro- 
bability, been long naturalized in this Country. Some of our do- 
meftic fowls, it is fuppofed, were introduced more than two thou- 
fand years ago, Cefar noticing them. Whether this circum- 
{tance may aflift conjecture, concerning the introduction of the 
Pheafant, we dare not prefume to determine. Pheafants were firft 
brought into Europe from the banks of the Phafis, a river of ancient 
Colchis, in Afia Minor: at prefent it is found throughout Europe, in 
a wild ftate. It has not hitherto been difcovered in America. 
The female is fmaller than the male ; the general colour, brown, 
variegated with other obfcure colours, the tail is fhorter than in the 
male; and the fpace round the eye, which is bare in that fex, is 
covered with feathers in the female. 
They breed like the Partridge, on the ground. Lay from twelve 
to fifteen eggs, fmaller than thofe of the hen, and of a paler colour 
than thofe of the Partridge. “The young follow the females like 
Chickens. 
Several authors have noticed a circumftance of this bird, which 
furprifing as it may appear, is by no means peculiar to the Pheafant 
* Colonel Davies has a drawing of the tail feather of one of the Chinefe fpecies of 
Pheafants, which is fix feet in length. 
AY 3 only. 
e 
