. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . vivid colour of itsplumes, as for their beautiful mixtures and varieties. It isfar beyond the power of the pencil to draw any thing soglossy, so bright, or so finely blended. It is related thatwhen Croesus, king of Lydia, was seated on his throneadorned in all the pomp of eastern magnificence, he askedSolon if he had ever beheld any thing so fine. TheGreek philosopher calmly replied, that after having seenthe beautiful plumage of
. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . vivid colour of itsplumes, as for their beautiful mixtures and varieties. It isfar beyond the power of the pencil to draw any thing soglossy, so bright, or so finely blended. It is related thatwhen Croesus, king of Lydia, was seated on his throneadorned in all the pomp of eastern magnificence, he askedSolon if he had ever beheld any thing so fine. TheGreek philosopher calmly replied, that after having seenthe beautiful plumage of the pheasant, he could be aston-shed at no other finery. 120 THE PHEASANT. The iris of the eye in this bird is-yellow, and the eyesthemselves are surrounded with scarlet, sprinkled withsmall specks of black. On the fore part of the headthere are blackish feathers mixed with a shining top of the head and the upper part of the neck aretinged with a darkish green that shines like silk. Thefeathers of the breast, the shoulders, the middle of theback, and the sides under the wings, have a blackishground, with edges of an exquisite colour, which appears. sometimes black and sometimes purple, according to thedifferent lights it is placed in. The tail is about eighteeninches long. There are black spurs on the legs, and amembrane connecting two of the toes together. Thewings are short and not calculated for a protracted male is much more beautiful than the female. Though so beautiful to the eye, this bird is not lessdelicate when served up at the table. Its flesh is consid-ered as the greatest dainty. In the woods the hen pheas-ant lays from eighteen to tAventy eggs in a season, but ina domestic state she seldom lays above ten. When full grown this bird feeds indifferently upon eve- RING-NECKED EHEASANT. 121 ry tiling that offers. It is said by a French writer, thatone of the kings sportsmen, on shooting- at a parcel ofcrows that were gathered round a dead carcass,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidbookoforni, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1832
