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"^6 Painted Pheasant from China. 
H I S Bird is rather fmaller than our Englifi Pheafanty fhaped pretty much like 
it, but the Tail I think is longer in Proportion, the middle Feather being 23 
Inches long. It has been already defcribed by Alhin in his Hiftory of Birds, Vol. III. 
Pa. 34. by the Name of the Red Pheafant-y but having in it a Mixture of all the gay 
and gorgeous Colours imaginable, I thought the Name I have given it more proper to 
it. Mr. AJhin's Figure of this Bird being far wide of a juft and natural Defcription, 
I ftiall endeavour to mend his Faults in mine; He has made its Bill and Head much too 
large for his Proportion, his Wing too long, and his Tail hardly half long enough, and 
omitted many Particulars, which I fhall add both in my Figure and Defcription. 
Its Bill is of a light Yellow Colour, fomething darker towards the Point; the Eyes 
encircled with a bright Yellow; the Sides of the Head beneath the Eyes of a Flefti Co¬ 
lour, bare, or very thinly fet with Feathers; the Crown of the Head is cover’d with 
line bright yellow or gold-colour’d Feathers, which it fometimes eredfs into a Creft, 
and fometimes lets fall on the Neck: The upper Part of the Neck is cover'd with 
Orange-colour’d Feathers, mark’d with tranfverfe Bars of Black ; thefe Feathers it can 
raife as our Dunghill Cocks do their Feathers when they fight: The Bottom of the Neck 
and the Beginning of the Back are covered with fine dark-green Feathers, which refledb 
a gold Colour, with black tranfverfe Bars at their Tips; thefe Feathers, as the Bird 
moves, have a different Motion from the other Feathers, falling fometimes farther over 
the Back, and flipping from Side to Side ; The Remainder of the Back to the Tail is 
tCOvet’d with a beautiful golden Yellow, mixed at the fetting on of the Wing, and 
where the Feathers fall over the Tail, with a few bright fcarlet Feathers: The greateft 
.or prime Quills of the Wings are duflcy or black, with yellow brown Spots on their 
Webs; the middle Qifills are of a dull Red, mixed and fpotted with Black : Some of 
4 he leffer Quills next the Back are of an exceeding fine full Blue Colour; the Infide of 
all the Qmlls are dufky; all the covert Feathers are of a dull Reddifli Colour, the firft 
Row that immediately covers the Qifills inclining a little more to Yellow, and have 
tranfverfe Lines of Black. The under Side of the Bird, from Bill to Tail, is of a very 
fineRed or Scarlet Colour; theThighs are of a Clay Colour; the Tail is aMixture of black 
and Reddifli-brown Colour; the two middle Feathers black, fpotted with round and fome 
irregular Spots of Brown, the Side Feathers obliquely ftreaked Black and Brown, as ex- 
prefled. There flioots over the great Feather of the Tail fome long narrow fcarlet Fea¬ 
thers with yellowilh Shafts, which extend to near half the Length of the Tail. I have 
exprefled the Tail Feathers more loofe and feparated than the Bird generally carries them^ 
in order to fhew how the different Feathers are mark’d : The Legs and Feet are like 
Hen's Feet, but fomething flenderer, of a Yellow Colour, and hath fhort yellow Spurs. 
Thefe Birds of late Years are frequently brought from China : I have feen feverai of 
them in the Poflelfion of our Nobility, and fome curious Gentlemen, and have been 
favoured with one of them newly dead by the Lady of Sir "John Heathcotey Bart, which 
has enabled me to be more exadi in every Particular of my Figure than I could other- 
w.ife, or any have hitherto been. Thefe Birds are pretty hardy, and bear our Climate 
'^ery well; and I believe, were they brought with their Hens, might be bred with a 
little Care. Sir Hans Shane the Cock now living, which this Figure reprefents, and 
I think, if I remember -right, he has had it about 15 Years. The 
