PIED PHEASANTS. 165 



light-fingered gentry who are adepts in wiring and 

 snaring, the more adventurous night poacher must 

 console himself with but lew shots, at great inter- 

 vals of time and space, and moreover possess an 

 accurate knowledge of the country to enable him 

 to escape detection, and to secure such a booty as 

 will repay him for the hours mis-spent, and the 

 risks encountered in this precarious and unseason- 

 able occupation. 



The ring-necked variety, which is common 

 enough in some parts of the county, is less fre- 

 quently met with in the weald. Its origin may 

 probably be attributed to the introduction of the 

 Chinese species (Phasianus torquaius), which, 

 breeding freely with the common pheasant {Pha- 

 sianus Colchicus), became gradually intermixed 

 with it, but possessing less vigour and robustness 

 of constitution, its characteristic plumage was 

 gradually absorbed by its congener, and it has 

 bequeathed nothing but the imperfect ring of 

 white feathers to its descendants. 



Pied pheasants are not uncommon, particularly 

 in the neighbourhood of preserves, where the sys- 

 tem of rearing poults from eggs hatched under 

 barn-door hens has been pursued during many 

 successive seasons. I confess that I am no ad- 

 mirer of these parti-coloured birds, for I regard 

 this aberration from the true plumage as the 



