THE



Avicultural Magazine


THE JOURNAL OF THE

AVICULTURAL SOCIETY



Fourth Series. —Vol. X.— No. 10 .—All rights reserved. OCTOBER, 1932.



THE MUTANT PHEASANT


Phasianus mut. tenebrosus (Hachisuka)


By The Hon. M. Hachisuka


We are now all familiar with the so-called mutant Pheasant which

is increasing so rapidly in our woods. It is no longer a class of fancy

Pheasant but is becoming a very popular figure among the game birds

of this country.


There are still a considerable amount of biological questions not yet

answered relating to this bird, and there have been certain disputable

questions raised by ornithologists at the British Ornithologists’

Club as well as in the leading ornithological journal, The Ibis, since

this Pheasant was first described by myself in 1926 as a mutational

species which had suddenly cropped up amongst the common Pheasants;

also Dr. P. R. Lowe has long been studying a series of male skins

he has collected himself since 1921. It would, therefore, not be

out of place at this juncture to give the history of this Pheasant.


We are all familiar with the sudden appearance of the distinct

species of Peafowl, Black-winged—and the Golden Pheasant, Black-

throated—which was produced in Holland towards the end of the

last century. Both species, nigri'pennis and obscurus, breed true to

type and exist in European gardens as distinct species. The production



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