PHASIAN1D.«. 



499 



THE PHEASANT. 



Phasiaxus colchicus (Linnaeus). 



There is evidence that the Pheasant had become naturahzed in 

 the south of England before the Norman invasion, though there is 

 no mention of its existence in Scotland until 1594, or in Ireland 

 till 15S9. At the present day, however, it is generally distributed 

 throughout the United Kingdom, and it has even been acclimatized 

 in some of the Outer Hebrides. Little, if any, deviation from the 

 typical P. colchicus took place up to the end of last century, when 

 the introduction of the Chinese Ring-necked P. iorquatus com- 



Q Q 2 



