said to have been introduced into Greece by Alexander the 

 Great. The birds are readily tamed, are extremely prolific, 

 and are found in parks and on estates throughout this country, 

 being highly prized for their beauty. The Romans esteemed 

 them highly as a food, but at present only the young are 

 eaten as the flesh of the old bird is hard and dry. 



The Pheasants (Plmsianae) are counted among the most 

 beautiful birds in existence. They came from Asia and are 

 said to have been introduced into Europe from Phasis, a 

 river of Colchis, about the time of the Argonauts. They live 

 in wooded places, build their nests on the ground and feed on 

 insects and seeds. If disturbed by sportsmen they have a 

 foolish habit of perching in a nearby tree and fixing their at- 

 tention so intently upon the dogs that the hunters may easily 

 approach and kill them. Pheasants are highly esteemed as 

 a table luxury and would, therefore, soon be exterminated if 

 they were not protected and bred by the owners of large es- 

 tates. Becauseof their beauty they are kept in most of the 

 parks of Europe and in this country the golden, silver, and 

 ring-necked pheasants have been successfully introduced into 

 Washington, Oregon and California, and have become natur- 

 alized in game preserves in the East. 



The representatives of this family in the Museum include 

 a fine group of English pheasants mounted amid their nat- 

 ural surroundings. The male is perched on a low stump, on 

 the lookout for enemies. The female, protectively colored 

 in soft, dull browns, is couched on her nest in the grass 

 while near her run the flock of downy chicks seeking for 

 food. This group, though mounted in Ireland 20 years ago, 

 is one of the best effects in the Museum. It was purchased 

 in April, 1905. Other specimens of the English pheasant 

 show the variability of its coloring, some closely approach- 

 ing the ring-necked pheasant, while another is spotted with 

 white throughout. The collection also includes the golden, 

 silver, Japanese, fire-back and the rare argus pheasants be- 

 sides the peacock and our native wild turkey. 



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