﻿PHEASANT. 



They appear to be hardy birds; and I fhould by no means 

 wonder if future generations fhould fee them as perfectly n-atu- 

 ralifed to this climate as the common one. The flavour of their 

 flefh is faid to exceed that of any other Pheafant *. 



This fpecies, as has been mentioned in the former, is likewife 

 fubject to change the appearance of fex. Edwards records the 

 circumftance in refpect to fome kept by Lady EJfex ; the females 

 of which, in the fpace of fix years, gradually gained the male 

 feathers : and we are likewife further informed, that it is not un- 

 ufual for the hen birds, when about four or five years old, to be 

 neglected by the cocks, and gradually to gain the plumage of the 

 males. 



7*9 



Phafianus nyfthemerns, Lin. Syft. i. p. 272. 6. — Scop. ann. i. N° 167. 

 Le Faifan blanc de la Chine, BriJ. orn. i. p. 277. 5. — PL enl. 123. 124. 

 Le Faifan notr & blanc de la Chine, Buf. oif. ii. p. 359. 

 ^Black and White Chinefe Pheafant, Edia. pi. 66. (male and female).—* 

 Albin. iii. pi. 37. 



Br. Muf. Lev. Muf. 



'T'HIS is bigger than the Common Pheafant : length two feet 

 and a half. The bill and irides yellow : fides of the head 

 covered with a carunculated, crimfon, bare fkin, as in our Phea- 

 fants, which rifes upwards above each eye, giving the appearance 

 of horns, and in fome birds likewife hangs fo deep below on each 

 fide of the jaw, as to appear like wattles : the head is crefted, 

 and is, as well as all the under parts of the body* of a full 

 purplifh black : the upper parts are white, and each feather 

 marked with three or four lines one within another* all parallel 



Du Halde, 



4- PENCILLED* 

 PH. 



DBSCRHm&W. 



to> 



