﻿PHEASANT. 



7*£ 



who ufed to keep thefe birds for his amufement, obferved the 

 fame to me : and the ingenious Mr. J. Hunter has a well-drawn- 

 up paper in the Phil. Tranf. * to the fame purport : but, in addi- 

 tion to this, I am well informed, that it does not always require 

 mature age to give the hen Pheafant the appearance of the male, 

 as fometimes young birds will be adorned with his fine plumage. 

 I will not fay how this happens, and whether it may be peculiar 

 to this fpecies to grow barren (if that be the reafon) fooner thart 

 any other of the Gallinaceous tribe ; but I am afiured that feveral 

 of thefe Jpurlefs, cock-like hens, have proved on eating to be 

 young birds, from their juicinefs and delicacy of flavour. 



A Fine variety of this bifd is now not uncommon in our 

 aviaries. This differs in having a ring of pure white round 

 the neck j and the colours of the plumage more diftinct, parti- 

 cularly the feathers of the lower part of the neck and bread, 

 which are more deeply indented than in the common, each fea- 

 ther appearing double at the end. 



Thefe are common in the woods in fome of the provinces of 

 China. In fome drawings of thefe we obferved a ftreak of white 

 over each eye. They are alfo common about the Cafpian Sea, 

 and in the fouthern part of the defert between the Don and 

 Wolga : alfo in Great Tartary, and in the fouth of the Mongolian 

 Defert f, where they are faid to be lefs than the Common Pheafant, 

 Are alfo pretty common at St. Helena £. 



* Vol. lxx. p. 527. f Mr. Pennant. 



X Introduced by the governor. Said to be five pounds penalty oh Ihooting 

 one. — Forft. Fay. ii. p. 567. 



4 Y 2 Le 



4- 

 Var. A. 

 ■i- RING PHEA- 

 SANT. 

 A Varihty. 



Description. 



Place 



