THE CHINESE PHEASANT. 
Phasianus torquatus. 
Plate XXXYIL 
Of the beautiful group of birds which constitute the true Pheasants—the genus Phasianus, of modern authors, 
as now restricted—six species are known, all of which inhabit the northern portion of the Old World. Placing 
our Common Pheasant (/'. colchicus), believed to have been originally imported into Europe from Western 
Asia, at the head of the list, they may be arranged as follows:— 
1. The Common Pheasant (P. colchicus ), Europe and 4. The Japanese Pheasant (/’. versicolor), Japan. 
Western Asia. 5. Soemmering’s Pheasant (P. sosrnmeringii), Japan. 
2. The Chinese Pheasant (P. torquatus ), China. 6. Reeves’ Pheasant (/'. reevesii), Cochin China. 
3. The Mongolian Pheasant (P. mongolicus), Altai 
mountains. 
It is believed that most, if not all, of these splendid birds, might easily be introduced into and propagated 
in this country, and attempts have already been made to effect this object with several of them. Of the first 
arrival of the Japanese Pheasant, full particulars are given in the letter-press to the next illustration, in 
which it is represented. The late Mr. Russell Reeves presented to the Society in 1831 a pair of the magnificent 
Pheasant which bears his name, and they actually bred in the Menagerie, although the produce was unfortu¬ 
nately lost. 
The Chinese or true Ring-necked Pheasant, which is figured in the accompanying plate, has also been 
successfully imported, and is now well known in England, having been turned out in several preserves in the 
midland counties, and there hybridized with our common species, Phasianus colchicus. It is a smaller bird than 
the latter, and rather more brightly and beautifully coloured, though closely resembling it in general plumage. 
The native country of the P. torquatus is China, where it represents our ordinary species. It is found all 
through the magnificent territory recently acquired by the Russians on the river Amoor, as has been ascer¬ 
tained by the scientific expedition to those countries, despatched by the Imperial Academy of Sciences of 
St. Petersburg, under the command of Herr Yon Schrenck. It is also, in all probability, the bird spoken of by 
Pallas, as the Mongolian variety of the Common Pheasant, and, if so, extends far into inner Asia along the 
southern portion of the great Mongolian Desert, In the Altai mountains it is replaced by the still more 
beautiful Phasianus mongolicus of Professor Brandt. 
