CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 239 



scourg'e of the poultry yard, as might be inferred 

 from its vernacular name. The flight is particularly 

 buoyant and generally low." 



In looking at the birds in this case, I think the 

 dissimilarity in regard to plumage and size of the 

 male and female is very noticeable. The female — 

 as in nearly all the hawks — is much the larger of 

 the two. 



CASE 50. 



THE PHEASANT. 



Orde7', Gallince. Family, P hasianicicE . 



This very well-known and handsome bird appears 

 to have been known many, many years ago. Mr. 

 W. H. Hudson says that its history extends " faj- 

 back into the period of myth and fable to the 

 famous expedition of the Argonauts, who brought 

 back this bird from the banks of the river Phasis, in 

 Colchis." 



Howard Saunders, on the same subject, says : 

 " There is evidence that the Pheasant had become 

 naturalized in the south of England before the 

 Norman invasion, though there is no mention of its 

 existence in Scotland until 1594, and in Ireland 

 until 1589." 



The Colchian bird, generally known in this 

 country as the old English Pheasant, is rapidly 

 dying out, being swamped by the Chinese or Ring- 

 necked Pheasant, and by hybrids with the Japanese 



