Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
March 1, 1787
Primary Source Reference:
Pennsylvania Packet, and Daily Advertiser Philadelphia), 1 Mar 1787
Additional Source Text:
"Mr. Peale has now preserved in his museum of natural curiosities, a Gold Pheasant, one of those beautiful birds of China, which the Marquid de la Fayette presented to His Excellency George Washington, as mentioned under the Baltimore head in our paper of Nov. 16 last, which it is said cost the Marquis de la Fayette sixteen guineas."
Notes:
The golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), also known as the Chinese pheasant, and rainbow pheasant, is native to to forests in mountainous areas of western China.
Peale heard about the pheasants and wrote to Washington on 31 Dec 1786 offering, in the event they died, to "preserve them in the best manner I am able, and either send them back to you, or place them in my Museum." One of the pheasants died on 15 Feb 1787 and was sent to Peale the next day. Selected Papers, 1: 464-466, 473
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Peale's Common Name:
Gold pheasant
Current Common Name:
Golden pheasant
Current Scientific Name
Chrysolophus pictus
