A naturalist in Western China : with vasculum, camera, and gun, being some account of eleven year's travel, exploration, and observation in the more remote parts of the flowery kingdom; . tail-feathers. ash3--grey shadingto iiidescent blue-black with green reflections ; rump andabdomen clear white, rest of the plumage creamy white ; feet,coral-red. and the legs armed ^nth long murderous-lookingspurs : total length. 38 to 40 inches. The female is similar tothe male, with a total length of 34 to 35 inches. Hunting this sfa-ong-legged, handsome bird is most \\-ind-ing and fatiguing sport. A favou
A naturalist in Western China : with vasculum, camera, and gun, being some account of eleven year's travel, exploration, and observation in the more remote parts of the flowery kingdom; . tail-feathers. ash3--grey shadingto iiidescent blue-black with green reflections ; rump andabdomen clear white, rest of the plumage creamy white ; feet,coral-red. and the legs armed ^nth long murderous-lookingspurs : total length. 38 to 40 inches. The female is similar tothe male, with a total length of 34 to 35 inches. Hunting this sfa-ong-legged, handsome bird is most \\-ind-ing and fatiguing sport. A favourite food is wild onions, andthe strong flavour of this esculent permeates the flesh, which isdark-colouied and coaise and of little value for the table. Thea\-erage weight of adult male is about S to 9 lbs. This Crossoptilun ranges throughout the sub-alpine regions,bordering the timber-line from south-west of Tacliienlu to theneighbourhood of Sungpan Ting and is one of the commonestbirds fomid in this region. The vernacular Chinese name forthis bird is Ma che ; a Thibetan name is Shar har. Howfar to the south and west of the regions indicated this bird ranges I have no 1 1. THE THIBETAN EARED-PHEASANT (CROSSOPTILUN TIBETANUM) a SH IN. ? 34i IN. •J. THE ICHANG PHEASANT (PHASIANUS HOLDERERI c? 34i IN. ? 23A IN. SPORT IN WESTERN CHINA 123 The eggs are described by Pratt as being light olive-duncolour. ^ Brooding commences about beginning of June andpossibly earlier. By the end of July the chicks are of goodsize and strong on the wing. According to IAbbe David,^ the Blue-Eared Pheasant {Crossoptilun auritum) occurs in the north-west of Szechuanand extends northwards to the Kokonor region, but is every-where rare. He also says it is called Ma che (Ma ky), aname cited above as applied to the Thibetan-Eared have no personal knowledge of this Blue Crossoptilun, but inthe neighbourhood of Sungpan I was informed that Ma che occur, but are rare. I had presumed th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1913
