THE GOLDEN PHEASANT. Phasianus pictus.-LINNEUS. PLATE XVIII. * Phasianus pictus, Linnæus, Latham. - Painted or Gold Pheasant, Edwards. - Faisan tricolor, Temminck, Pigeons et Gallinacés, ii. p. 341. In this bird we see another form among the true pheasants. The head is crested, and even more amply than the last; the tail is broad, folded, and bending, and the neck is adorned with a ruff of broad truncated feathers, which fall from the occiput around like a hood, and can be raised and depressed at the will of the bird. This form is only exhibited by the present bird, and another described by Mr Leadbeater, under the title of Ph. Amherstia. This pheasant may be said to be the most gaudy of its race, and for its gay and splendid plumage and comparative hardiness, is often kept and sought after for the aviary, and is so generally known, that a detailed description is unnecessary, particularly where words are so inadequate to convey an idea of the "brightness of the plumage. In addition to the brilliant ruff of golden orange and black, differing from VOL. III. T the plumage of the pheasants, we have the feathers covering the rump, particularly upon the sides, long, narrow, with loose webs, almost like hackles, but of a texture quite stiff and almost horny. The female has the usual unobtrusive brownish plumage, broken with black crescent-formed bars, and the tail is short and regularly graduated. This bird is also a native of China, where it is called Kinki or Kinkee, Gold Flower-fowl, or Wroght Fowl.* It is kept in domestication, and may now be procured in considerable numbers from many parts in the south of England. Like the Silver Pheasant, they have also been attempted to be set at large in the preserves, but generally also without success. For the table they are said to be more delicate than the common pheasant; their numbers are, however, too limited for them to be often seen in a cooked state. The feathers of the crest and ruff are held in much request by anglers, and particularly to assist in dressing the gaudy Irish hooks. The other beautiful species now alluded to is LADY AMHERST'S PHEASANT. Phasianus Amherstia.-Leadbeater. First described by Mr Leadbeater of London, in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, from two male specimens presented by the King of Ava to Sir J. Campbell, who gave it to Lady Amherst. "The feathers on the top of the head are green; the crest-feathers are crimson, and 24 inches in length; the pendant tippet is of a beautiful white, each feather tipped with a dark green circular band, with a straight band of the same colour across each feather, about three-eighths of an inch above the end; the whole depth of this tippet is 5 inches, the longest feathers 4 inches; the neck, back, shoulders, chest, and wing-coverts are of a beautiful metallic green, each feather ending in a broad zone of velvet black; the wing primaries dusky, with lighter coloured shafts, and white outer edges; the greater wingcoverts and secondaries bluish-black; the breast and belly white; thighs and under tail-coverts mottled dark brown and white; the legs light blue. The feathers on the rump are brown at the base, green in the middle, the remaining most exposed portion of a bright saffron-yellow; the tail-coverts are also brown at the base, the centre portion barred green and white, ending in scarlet; these feathers elongated to the extent of 10 inches, as their plan of insertion approaches that of the true tail primaries; the first tail primary measures only 29 inches, the plume 14 inch in depth, of a beautiful white ground, with broad bars of green about three-fourths of an inch apart, extending in the direction of the web, and mottled across from bar to bar; the third and fourth primaries are the longest, and measure 38 inches |