PHEASANT 
165 
shortly after. Here, they appear to follow the broom-plant, which affords them shelter 
from vermin and weather as well as food. They suffer under occasional heavy snowfalls in 
winter, but soon recuperate. The centre of abundant occurrence is still southern Van- 
couver Island, but they occur at least as far north as C’omox. Attempts to introduce 
them into Fraser Valley have not been successful, but about 1900 they were introduced 
into the southern Okanagan Valley where they have done remarkably well. 
SUBSPECIES. The typical form, the Coast Quail (la Perdrix cotlere) Lophortyx 
calif omica calif or nica, seems to be the race to which our birds should be referred. It is 
unfortunate that importers are careless as to the origin of their introductions. Where 
restocking of covers has been numerous, the stock has in many cases become hopelessly 
mongrel. Restocking should be in the hands of responsible authorities, careful records 
kept, and the purity of the strain maintained. 
Introduced: 
292. Painted Quail, la perdkix Elegante. Oreortyx picta. L, 11*50. Pale, 
olive-grey on back, lightening to clear, light, slate-grey on head, neck, and breast. Flanks 
conspicuously barred with dark brown alternating with white, between two bands of rich 
chestnut. The throat has a sharply defined chestnut patch, black edged, and bordered 
by a white crescent. The most striking ornament, however, is a long, black, pencil-like 
plume springing from the crown and falling over the back (Figure 235). The sexes are 
almost alike. 
Distinctions. Rich chestnut throat, flank bars, and the long pencil plume. 
Field Marks. Size, long, slender black plume, and chestnut on flanks. 
Distribution. Originally the Pacific coast from the State of Washington south into 
California. Probably the first attempt at introduction into Canada was made on Van- 
couver Island about 1865 with birds from San Juan 
Island, where the species was indigenous, but it was 
not successful. About 1872 another attempt was made 
with birds from the same locality and the species is, in 
consequence, today fairly common locally in Victoria 
and Sooke regions, Vancouver Island, and has been 
noted as far north on the island as Duncan. 
SUBSPECIES. Several subspecies of Painted 
Quail are recognized. The subspecies native to the 
lower levels west of the Cascades where our stock 
probably originated in Washington is the Mountain 
Quail (la Perdrix elegante des montagnes) Oreortyx 
picta, and our birds are probably the same, though in 
the various introductions that have been made in 
Washington, a strain of the Plumed Quail (la Perdrix 
a panache) Oreortyx picta picta from the higher levels 
adjacent may have been intermixed. 
FAMILY PHASIANIDAE. PHEASANTS 
A large, Old World order with no native American representative. 
Many species take kindly to domestication and have been carried by man 
all over the world. The most familiar example of this family is the com- 
mon domestic poultry. The pheasants are often brilliantly coloured with 
metallic sheens, and run to remarkable sexual specializations in the way of 
tail, wing, and other feather ornaments. The nostril is hidden under a 
fleshy scale like that of the partridge and quail, but the only species that 
has been naturalized under wild conditions is so much larger than any of 
that family that there can be no chance of confusion. 
Introduced: 
Common Pheasant, china pheasant, le faisan ordinaire. Phasianus colchicus. 
I., 35. A large, game-cock-like bird. Male: strikingly and magnificently coloured, with 
narrow, gracefully pointed tail about 15 inches long. Back, beautifully variegated in 
complicated pattern with deep maroon, cream, ochre, black, and shades of emerald green, 
many of them metallic. The back is mostly green, the wing-coverts mostly maroon, and 
the cape mostly ochre. Breast, solid, rich burnt sienna, with violet reflections and scale, 
Figure 235 
Mountain Quail; scale, §, 
