Indian sporting birds (1915) (14563970559)

Identifier: indiansportingbi00finn (find matches)

Title: Indian sporting birds

Year: 1915 (1910s)

Authors: Finn, Frank, 1868-1932 Hume, Allan Octavian, 1829-1912 Marshall, Charles Henry Tilson, 1841-

Subjects: Birds -- India Game and game-birds -- India

Publisher: London : Francis Edwards

Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library

Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

Text Appearing Before Image:

hich one associates witli pheasants, especially thosewith the typical long pointed tail which he exhibits in perfec-tion, having this appendage sometimes two feet long, is never-theless a very recognizable bird, not only among our Indiangame-birds, but anywhere, for he is the only pheasant knownwhich combines a long pointed tail with a crest also long andpointed ; and the female, though shorter in both tail and crest,yet has them enough developed to be recognizable. Although there is plenty of difference in detail between thecock and hen Cheer Pheasants, their general appearance is farmore alike than that of the two sexes of pheasants in general, bothshowing black, grey, white, buff, and brown in their plumage ; themost noticeable differences are at the two ends, the cock having aplain dirty-white neck below his drab cap, while the hen, withthe same head colouring, has the neck below the throat moreblack than white, though the colours are mixed ; her tail, also, * PJiasianus on plate.

Text Appearing After Image:

CHEER PHEASANT 199 though exhibiting the same colours as the males, is not sodistinctly marked, the cocks tail being boldly banded with black-and-tan on a bright buff ground, and forming a very noticeablefeature in his appearance. Cock Cheer are much larger thanhens, weighing about three pounds and often more, while thehens weigh two to two and a half; they look about as big as ourcock pheasants at home, and this is the only one of our commonhill pheasants, rightly so-called or not, which will strike anyoneas closely like the home bird, in spite of its dull colour. Its note, however, is, like its plumage, very unlike thecommon pheasants, being a sort of song, rendered by Wilsonas chii-a-pir, chir-a-pir, chir chir, chirwa, chinva; but thetune varies, and there is a good deal of it to be heard, forhens crow as well as cocks, and in dull weather at any timein the day, though the usual calling-time is daybreak and dusk. The cocks have spurs, and presumably they fight, for theyare excessiv

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1915

American Museum of Natural History Library

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