RING-NECKED OR MONGOLIAN PHEASANT
*** Phasianus torquatus ?
The male of this beautiful pheasant varies greatly in length according to the development of the tail, sometimes being 36 in. in length; the female averages about 22 in. and is plain colored, but still a very handsome bird. Males vary greatly in the richness of their colors, and in the width of the white collar on the neck, the latter depending upon the extent to which they have been interbred with the English Pheasant, the latter bird having no white on the neck. These pheasants have been introduced in Oregon and Washington and are very abundant there now. Attempts at introducing them in the East have not been as successful, but in some private preserves they are doing well. They are rather sluggish in their habits, compared to our Ruffed Grouse, and usually try to escape by running or hiding rather than by taking wing; when they do fly, they go in a straight line and rather slowly.
FAMILY CRACIDÆ
CHACHALACA
311. Ortalis vetula mecalli. 21 in.
Plumage olive-brown above, and gray below; head crested; sides of head and chin, naked, orange-red. These birds are found in southern Texas, in dense woods, thickets and chaparral. They are very noisy, their calls being loud, harsh, clackings, “cha-cha-lac,” repeated rapidly and taken up by all the birds in the neighborhood. They are not usually shy and are often domesticated. They are also hunted to some extent, but their flesh is said not to be very good eating, and their body is quite small compared to the length of the bird.
Nest.—A frail platform of sticks, placed in scrubby brush or bushes, a few feet above the ground. They lay four white or buffy-white eggs, the shell of which is very rough and hard (2.25 × 1.55); April.
Range.—Eastern Mexico north to southern Texas.
PIGEONS AND DOVES—Order Columbæ
Family Columbidæ
PASSENGER PIGEON
315. Ectopistes migratorius. 16 in.
Head and back bluish-slate; below, rich rusty brown. Only a few years ago, up to 1880, they were extremely abundant in eastern North America. Seemingly incredible stories are told of the immense flocks and roosting places of these birds, and most of them are authentic. It is unfortunate that the camera was not extensively used then, so we have no visual records of them. A nesting place in Michigan is described as 28 miles in length by about four in width, and every tree in the woods, throughout this whole tract, had several nests, and some were filled with them. Flocks darkening the sky and covering several square miles are recorded. And, today, but one or two stragglers are reported in a year, and these are usually doubtful. They were shot and netted at their roosting and nesting places, barreled up and sent to market for sale, this continuing so long as there were birds enough to make it profitable, and we reap the result—no birds.
