67 
those feathers which lie immediately around the base of the 
tail—known as the upper tail coverts—immensely elongated, 
forming a large fan, like the train of the peacock, which they 
have the power to erect at will, thus exposing a surface of 
brilliant and beautiful coloring, which in many species is 
without parallel in the animal kingdom. These plumes are 
developed to this extent only in the males, and from the fact 
of their being displayed frequently in the presence of the 
THE WILD TURKEY. 
female during the breeding season, it is supposed that they 
play an important part in attracting her at this period. 
One of the most beautiful of these birds is Reeves’ Pheas¬ 
ant (P . reevest) y in the male of which the tail sometimes 
reaches a length of six feet; of this, as well as the Japanese 
Pheasant (P . versicolor ), the collection contains specimens. 
The Silver Pheasant (Euplocamus nycthemerus ), the 
