THE COMMON PHEASANT. 



OF THE PHEASANT TRIBE IN GENERAL. 



The characters of the present tribe are a short, convex, and strong 

 bill ; the head more or less covered with carunculated bare flesh on 

 llie sides, vvl«ch in some species is continued upwards to the crown, 

 Hiul beneath so as to hang pendent under each jaw ; knd the legs in 

 most of the species are furnished with spilrs. 



The females of this tribe ))roduce many young-ones at a brood : 

 tliese they take care of for some time, leading them abroad, and point- 

 ing out ibod for them. The nests of the whole tribe are formed on 

 the irround. 



THE COMMON PHEASANT. 



This beautiful bird is very common in almost all the southern parts 

 of tiie Old Continent, whence it was originally imported into our 

 country. 



Pheasants are much attached to the shelter of thickets and 

 woods, where the grass is long; but, like Partridges, they likewise 

 breed in clover-fields. They form their nests on the ground: and 

 the females lay from twelve to fifteen eggs, which are smaller than 

 those of the domestic hen. In the mowing of clover tiear woods that 

 are frequented by Pheasants, the destruction of their eggs is some- 

 times very great. In some ]>laces, therefore, game-keepers have direc- 

 tions to hunt the birds from these fields as soon as they begin to l;iy, 

 until their haunt is broken, and they retire into tlie corn. Poultry 

 Hens are often kej)t ready for sitting on any eggs that may be ex- 

 posed by the scythe; and, with care, great numbers are thus rescued 

 from destruction. The nest of the Pheasant is usually composed of 

 a few dry vegetables put carelessly togetlier, and the young-ones f )1- 

 low their mother, like chickens, as soon as they break the shell. The 

 parents and their brood, if undisturbed, remain in the stubbles and 

 hedgerows, for some time after the corn is ripe. If disturbed, they 

 seek the woods, and only issue thence in the mornings and evenings 

 to feed among the stubbles. These biids aie fond of corn ; but can 

 procure a subsistence without it; since they often , feed on the wild 

 berries of the woods, and on acorns. 



la confinement the female Pheasant neither lavs so manveggs, nor 

 hatches nor rears her brood with as much care and vigilance, as in the 

 fijld.s o\it of the immediate observation of man. Indeed, in the busi- 

 ness both of incubation and rearing the young-ones, the domestic 

 lien is generally made a substitute for the Hen Pheasant. 



The wings of these birds are short, and ill-adapted for considerable 

 flights. On this account, the Pheasants on the island called Isola 

 Madre in the La<jo Magipire at Turin, as they cannot fly over iho 

 lake, are imprisoned. When they attem)>t to cross, thev are almost 

 always drowned. Tlic Pheasant is a stupid bird. On being roused 

 it will often perch on a neighbouring tree, where its attention will be 



