Ornamental Fowl for Parks and Gardens 



A MONTHLY TREATISE ON THEIR CULTURE. 



PHEASANTS AS INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



Bv Pkof. W. H. Olix, CoLiiUAiiu. 



The pheasant, especially the Chinese ring-neck and 

 English varieties, are the most valuable insectivorous 

 birds, as well as the most attractive and eagerly 

 sought game bird of all the species that can be reared 

 in captivity or in a semi-domestic way and be kept 

 in the district in which it is propagated. 



The great majorit\' in numbers and kinds of the 

 insectivorous birds are migratory — are only with us 

 a short time — while the pheasant, especially the kinds 

 above mentioned, becomes attached to the localitv 

 and will breed and remain there as long as thev are 

 protected and can secure food. 



Thousands of these gorgeously plumed pheasants 



ciiiXKSi; i;im;\ki K i'iika.sant. 



with a wealth of feathered adornment, si ime nf which 

 shine in the sunlight as burnished gold and hron/e 

 of many shadings, with grace of form and carriage, 

 the private propert}- of W. F. Kendrick, in charge of 

 his own game keepers, are kept on exhibit at City 

 Park, Denver, for the education and entertainment of 

 the visitors, yet few realize their economic value. 



The pheasant is naturally an insectivorous bird, and 

 where such food is (jljtainable he will eat compara- 

 tively little else. 



The variety of the insect food of the pheasant is 

 larger than any other bird, so far as known. Investi- 

 gations show that over 130 species of insects, includ- 

 ing earthworms, are eaten by the pheasant, .md 

 tloubtless many more will be found to 

 share in its menu. 



In addition to this it is es]K'cially fond 

 of small rodents, such as held mice, 

 j-oung gophers and small snakes. In 

 England a number of pheasants have 

 been found choked to death in the at- 

 tempt to swallow worms larger or longer 

 than thev could manage : also several 

 pheasants have been found dead, choked 

 on small rodents. 



The keeper of most any large pheas- 

 antr\- has seen his pheasants catch mice 

 that were stealing the grain from the 

 birds. This is verified by Mr. Fred 

 Barnett, superintendent of the pheasan- 

 tries at City Park, Denver, Col. Mr. 

 Barnett says that a pheasant hen will 

 catch and destroy a mouse as quickly as 

 a cock pheasant or cat, as he has fre- noMESTicxTED 

 quently watched them in the act. TorxTRv 



Among the insects destroyed by the pheasant are 

 included smelling bugs, that most birds will not touch 

 — this makes these birds more valuable to the farmer 

 than any other. 



Prominent among the pests ravenously destroyed 

 are the Colorado potato beetle, the squash bug, the 

 cucumber beetle, the bean leaf beetle, tomato worms, 

 cut worms and the millers wdiich deposit the eggs for 

 the wire wcirms. The pheasant also digs for and 

 eats the wire worms, as it does all ground worms and 

 bugs, and practically all kinds of ground beetles. 

 Most birds avoid the potato and other bad smelling 

 bugs on account of their obnoxious odors, but the 

 pheasant hunts and eats them. 



The pheasant chooses the dandelion and the bulbs 

 of buttercups as two of its greatest vegetable deli- 

 cacies. He eats but com])aratively few buds from 

 bushes and trees, excepting in severe winters. In 

 this way he is quite different from the grouse. Of 

 the grasses he has liking for white and red clover, 

 alfalfa and red and yellow sorrel, but when there are 

 plenty of dandelions and buttercups he will make 

 those his principal vegetable diet. 



In the winter time pheasants can be seen turning 

 over forest leaves and examining them and picking 

 off the larvae of dift'erent tree insects deposited on 

 the under side of the leaves ; also picking over the top 

 soil around bushes and trees for the bugs and larvae. 



Tegetmeir-English says: "The value of pheasants 

 to the agriculturist is scarcely sufficiently appreci- 

 ated : the birds destroy enormous numbers of injuri- 

 ous insects — upwards of 1,200 wire worms have been 

 taken out of the crop of a pheasant ; if this number 

 was consumed in a single meal the total destroyed 

 must be almost incredible." 



It is fond of carrots, potatoes, beets, cabbage anrl 

 turnips in the winter time, alth(jugh if dandelions are 

 fed to caged pheasants they will eat them in jjrefer- 

 ence to most any vegetable food, roots and all. 



The pheasant is also very fond of many of the wild 

 weed seeds, such as legumes, thistles, especially the 

 burr thistle, wild carrots, sunflowers, wild lettuce, 

 mayweed, marsh elder and mustard seeds. 

 ' Cunthutcd (III I'dge 320.) 



MALL.ARD DUCKS ON THE L.'\KE IX GRAXT'S FARM, 

 IIO^^I■ OF AUGUST A. BUSCH, ST. t.OUIS. MO. (See page 333.) 



THE 



