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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Preface to 1828 Dictionary
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PHEASANT, n. phez'ant. [L. phasianus.] A fowl of the genus Phasianus, of beautiful plumage, and its flesh delicate food.
Any one of numerous species of large
gallinaceous birds of the genus Phasianus, and many other
genera of the family Phasianidæ, found chiefly in
Asia.
* The common, or English, pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus) is now found over most of temperate Europe, but was introduced from Asia. The ring-necked pheasant (P. torquatus) and the green pheasant (P. versicolor) have been introduced into Oregon. The golden pheasant (Thaumalea picta) is one of the most beautiful species. The silver pheasant (Euplocamus nychthemerus) of China, and several related species from Southern Asia, are very beautiful. The ruffed
grouse.
[Southern U.S.]
* Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc. Fireback pheasant. See Fireback.
-- Gold, or Golden,
pheasant (Zoöl.), a Chinese pheasant
(Thaumalea picta), having rich, varied colors. The crest is
amber-colored, the rump is golden yellow, and the under parts are
scarlet. -- Mountain pheasant
(Zoöl.), the ruffed grouse. [Local, U.S.] --
Pheasant coucal (Zoöl.), a large
Australian cuckoo (Centropus phasianus). The general color is
black, with chestnut wings and brown tail. Called also pheasant
cuckoo. The name is also applied to other allied species. --
Pheasant duck. (Zoöl.)
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