CHAPTER II 



The Common Pheasant 



The "original" type of common Pheasant [Phasianus 

 Colchicus) is generally regarded as having come from the 

 River Phasis, or Colchis, in Asia Minor ; hence the applica- 

 tion of the generic i^Phasianus) and specific {Colchicus) names 

 applied to these birds, though it is quite possible that the 

 species of Pheasant had a much wider distribution in Asia. 



The word placed in italics at the commencement of this 

 chapter is used for the specific purpose of indicating or 

 emphasising the fact that a distinction must be drawn 

 between that of the generality of Pheasants met with in 

 the coverts, and the species of such as belong to the true 

 type of " Common Pheasant," often spoken of under the 

 more popular titles of "Black-necked" or "Old English" 

 Pheasants, in contradistinction to the " Ring-necked " either 

 as hybrids, or pure bred specimens of the Chinese Pheasants, 

 now so universally distributed in game preserves. 



It would be incorrect to regard the Old English 

 Pheasants as even uncommon, as such birds are plentiful 

 in some localities, though scarce or unknown in others. 



Concerning the scarcity of Black-necked Pheasants, 

 a leader among British Ornithologists, Lord Lilford 

 (Thomas Littleton Powys, fourth lord), in the Birds of 

 Northamptonshire and Neighbourhood, says : 



"Although it is most difficult to find pure bred specimens 

 of the species P. Colchicus, on account of the frequent cross- 



