PHEASANTS 
The golden pheasant, a native of Tibet and western China, is noted for 
its resplendent plumage. The male bears a golden-yellow crest, a mantle 
of metallic green, and an orange-red ruff extending a third of the way 
down his deep blue back. His underparts are scarlet, his rump a golden- 
yellow, and his tail, twice as long as the rest of his body, is black with 
pale brown spots. The female, however, has neither crest nor ruff, and is 
mostly brown, barred and mottled with black. 
These birds are little known in their wild state, where they are timid 
and extremely wary. They are, however, familiar denizens of aviaries and 
for centuries have been kept by the Chinese. They thrive in captivity, living 
for about twenty years. They will interbreed with many sorts of domestic 
fowl. 
Golden pheasants breed in April and lay about thirty eggs in the course 
of one season. The splendid males strut before the females, who pretend to 
be unimpressed. Little is known of their nesting habits as they inhabit 
wooded mountains and are most expert in concealing their homes. The 
wild birds are frequently trapped by natives in search of food, and are also 
preyed upon by owls and eagles. Yet owing to their fertility, they seem 
to be in no danger of extinction. Their flight is weak and irregular, and 
when pursued they usually run into the deep cover of the woods. 
In captivity golden pheasants eat potatoes and grain, especially In¬ 
dian corn meal, and the larvae of blue-bottle flies. They also relish the 
leaves and buds of dwarf bamboo trees, spiders and many kinds of insects. 
Pheasants are alleged to be gifted with an unusual sense of hearing. 
On January 24, 1915, some pheasants at a point two hundred and sixteen 
miles from the naval battle of Dogger Bank, are reported to have shrieked 
themselves hoarse. No human being present could hear a sound of the 
thundering explosions issuing from the North Sea. 
The monals are pheasants of brilliant metallic coloration inhabiting 
the highest forest regions of the Himalaya Mountains. Other species include 
the beautiful argus pheasant, so-called because of the extraordinary “eyes” 
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