The Ring-necked Pheasant. 
"5 
of shining white feathers, narrow before and behind, and broadly dilated at 
the sides ; the feathers of the back of the neck black, with a narrow mark of 
white down the centre of the back portion, and a lengthened mark of ochreous- 
yellow within the edge of each web near the tip ; the feathers of back and 
scapularies black at the base, witli a slreak of white in the middle, then bu€ 
surrounded with a distinct narrow band of black, to which succeeds an outer 
fringe of chestnut; the feathers of the back black, with numerous zigzag 
and crescentic marks of buffy white; lower part of the back, rump and upper 
lail-coverts light green of various shades, ]5assing into bluish-grey at the 
sides, below which is a mark of rufous: breast feathers, indented at the tip, 
of a rich reddish chestnut, with pur])le reflections, and each bordered with 
black ; flanks, fine buff, with a large angular spot of beautiful violet at the 
tip; centre of the abdomen black, with violet reflections; under tail-coverts 
reddish chestnut ; wing-coverts silvery-grey ; wings brown, the primaries with 
light shafts, and crossed with narrow bars of light buff; the secondaries 
similar but not so regularly marked as the primaries; tail feathers olive, 
fringed with different shades of reddish violet, crossed at regular intervals 
with broad, conspicuous black bands, passing into reddish-brown on the sides 
of the basal portion of the six central feathers ; bill yellowish-horn colour ; 
irides yellow; feet greyish-white." 
" The female has the w-hole of the upper surface brownish-black, with 
a margin of buff to every feather; the throat whitish, and the central portion 
of ihe under surface fawn colo-ir ; flanks mottled with brown: tail buff, barred 
with dark brown, between which are other interrupted bars of the same hue. 
The marks are broader on the the two central feathers than on the others, 
and, moreover, do not reveal the edge on either side." 
IVild Life : This is one of the most conitnon species in 
China, abotindin.^i' in vast mimljers in the hill coverts and cotton 
fields (Swinhoe). 
The common Chinese pheasant is found everywhere in the 
north of China. I am not aware how much farther sotith they 
are found than Shanghai : but in that neighbourhood, since the 
devastation of the country by the Tai-pings, they are shot by 
hundreds. Thousands are brought down to the Pekin market 
in a frozen state by the Mongols, from as far north as Amour. 
At the new Russian port of Poussiet, conterminous with the 
Corea, the same pheasant abounds. T myself have seen them 
wild in the Imperial hunting grounds north of Jehol, and in the 
mountains of Ku-pe-kow (Saurin). 
The species swarms in Formosa, but this local variety 
differs in having the flanks paler than the typical form ; it has 
been given specific rank as P. formosanus to M^hich it is not 
entitled, being merely a local race of P. torquatus. 
