S (E M ME R RING’S PHEASANT. 
Phasianus scemmerringii. 
Plate XXXII. 
This beautiful species of true Pheasant is a native of Japan, and was discovered by Yan Siebold, whose 
meritorious efforts in investigating the Fauna and Flora of that country are well known. Specimens 
transmitted by Van Siebold to the Leyden Museum were described by Temminck in his “ Planches Coloriees ” 
in the year 1828, and named after Professor Soemmerring, a distinguished German Anatomist. Little more 
was added to our knowledge of this splendid bird until the visit of Commodore Perry’s squadron to the 
Japanese Seas in 1854, when examples of it were obtained in the vicinity of Simoda. According to the notes 
of Mr. Heine, the artist of that expedition, this Pheasant appeared to be abundant over the southern and 
middle parts of the Island of Niphon, inhabiting the briars and thickets on the low hills of that country. 
A few years ago, living examples of Soemmerring’s Pheasant were received by some of the continental 
Societies, and in June, 1864, Mr. Reginald Russell, lately attached to the British Kmbassy in Japan, succeeded 
in bringing alive to this country no less than fourteen birds of this fine species. Two pairs of these were 
purchased for the Zoological Society’s collection, and from them Mr. Wolf’s sketches have been taken. 
The males of this Pheasant are wild and fierce in captivity, and appear to be by no means apt subjects 
for acclimatization. It has thus happened that in spite of unceasing efforts the Zoological Society has not yet 
succeeded in inducing this fine species to reproduce itself in this country, nor, we believe, have the sister 
Societies of the continent been, hitherto, much more successful. 
Mr. Gould has lately described what we consider to be little, if anything, more than a variety of this 
species, which has the upper tail-coverts and wing-feathers margined with white, as a new species, under 
the title Phasianus scintillans* 
Annals of Natural History, series 3, vol. xvii., p. 150. 
