shining lustre. The feathers of the back and scapulars have small yellowish white bands upon a ground of rich metallic green, glossed with purple and violet, and surrounded with a border of golden yellow. The lower part of the back and rump are grey, clouded with green. The tail coverts blue or green, according as the light falls upon them. The feathers of the tail are of a greyish green, the lateral ones thickly mottled with very small spots; the four centre ones crossed with bars, largest and broadest towards the base. The edges of these feathers are long and disunited, and have on each side one of a greyish purple, almost like a fringe. The feet and legs are reddish. The total length of the bird is about three feet seven or eight inches.

The female, Plate XV., about sixteen or seventeen inches in length, M. Temminck observes, so closely resembles the common hen pheasant, as scarcely to be distinguished from her, except by the less size, and the proportional length of the tail. The upper parts, however, have generally a greener tint, and are of a metallic lustre, and the lower parts have a much greater number of black spots and markings. We have given a representation of the female of this bird, with the view of exhibiting the differences of sex among the pheasants; among all, even the most splendid, the plumage is of a shade of yellowish brown; the feathers, to a certain extent, following the form of those of the male, and generally barred with black about the tips.

VOL. III.

THE BARRED-TAILED PHEASANT.

Phasianus superbus,—LATHAM.

PLATE XVI.

Barred-tailed Pheasant, Latham's General History, vol. viii. p. 196.--Phasianus superbus, Faisan superbe, Tem minck, Pigeons et Gallinacés, ii. 336.-Faisan venere, Phasianus veneratus, Temminck, Planches Coloriées, pl.

485.

FROM Temminck's own shewing, this is the Phasianus superbus of his former work, and of Latham's General History. Why he changes the name to that of veneratus, which was engraved on the accompanying plate, before enquiring into the matter, we do not know; and seeing no reason for it, we have now retained the original one, already introduced into many works of natural history.

Dr Latham's original description of this very splendid bird, was taken from one of the drawings of Sir J. Anstruther; from the writing beneath it in the Persian language, it was called Doom-durour, (long-tail), and was found on the snowy mountains of Surinagur. Temminck's first description, amounted only to that of two of the tail feathers, but having since procured two entire specimens, be has been en