THE OOLOGIST. 



133 



tiacts from letters to the Chief of Div- 

 ision of Ornithology Department of Ag- 

 riculture will show the views usualfv 

 held of him by the agriculturalist. 



Mr. Ashev Tyler, in his letter of Jau , 

 1880 says of him. * * "Haviug spread 

 very rapidly and increased wonderfully. 

 The female produces from fifteen to 

 eighteen eggs at each litter and hatch 

 them all. Some of them lay two litters 

 a year. The old ones have lots of 

 nerve, will tight a Hawk, as anything 

 that comes near them. The cocks will 

 go in a barnyard and whip the best 

 barnyard fowls we have and run things 

 according to their own notion. They 

 are very har.Iy and stand our winters 

 well. 



"Their favorite haunts are low 

 grounds near tiel<l.-> of grain in which 

 they depredate. They are very des- 

 tructive to garden.^ a.s well. Great com- 

 plaints are made against them." 



Mr. R. S. Barr writes: "They are 

 very destructive l)irds, both to grain 

 and small fruits. When not disturbed 

 he often comes in the chicken yard and 

 tights with the chickens. There is a 

 law to protect him, here, but it is gen- 

 erally discarded by the people.'' 



Hon. T. T. Geer writing to the Oix- 

 gonian published at Portland, Oregon, 

 of date of Jan. '.3'.>, 1*389 says: "In the 

 matter of multiplying they seem to re- 

 gard themselves a> having been spec- 

 ially included in the original biblical 

 injunction, and are striving in season 

 and out of season, for first money. 



* * As a farmer however, I not 

 only have no objection to them, but 

 rather admire them." 



In my own letter of Jan. 2'3, 1889 to 

 the Chief of Ornithology Department of 

 Agriculture 1 have said of this Pheas- 

 ant. " They are more a bird of open 

 ground than the native Pheasant. They 

 seek woods and brush for shelter when 

 flushed, but will not "tree" for a dog. 

 They usually make a loud cackling 

 noise when flushed. They lie close and 



run and hide with remarkable dexter- 

 ity, and are a hard bird to get. 



"This Pheasant is well adapted to 

 take care of himself; is increasing fast, 

 and has come to stay. 



"He is a vigorous fighter, and there 

 are many reports of his going through 

 the farmer's roosters. Cases are re- 

 ported of his crossing with the domes- 

 tic hens (?). He is destructive in gar- 

 dens, berries and small fruits. * * 

 He is voted a nuisance 1)3' many form- 

 ers and I am afraid his introduction 

 will prove a calamity to the country, 

 whatever it may be for the sportsman. 



"He is pretty good eating, al)out like 

 our native pheasant, but I am inclined 

 to regard him as a gaudily painted de- 

 ception and a fraud. * * He 'roosts' 

 on the ground, hiding among grass, 

 weeds, or other cover. The hen lays 

 on the ground, from twelve to eighteen 

 eggs at a clutch; raises two and some- 

 times three broods in a season. 



"The male crows, something like a 

 young domestic rooster just learning 

 the art, and flaps, or rather flutters his 

 wings afterward." 



And in my letter of Mar. 7. 1890 to 

 the Pacijic Rural Press of San Francis- 

 co, Cal., in answer to inquiry: 



"This Jap. is hardy, vigorous, and 

 remarkably well calculated to take care 

 of himself. He is an expert at running 

 and hiding; is impudent and profane. 

 He will sit behind the fence a- hundred 

 steps from where I am working in my 

 berryground and yell, 'You daren't 

 shoot,' and flutter his wings in the most 

 insulting manner. If approached he 

 runs ofl' rapidly, dodging behind every 

 sort of cover, and when pressed gets up 

 suddenly and flies straight away crying 

 out rapidly aiHl loudly, "Shoot! shoot! 

 shoot and l)e d—d; -shoot and be d— d" 



In spring the males (juarrel and 

 swear at each other long diatances 

 apart, getting nearer and nearer and 

 eventually having a pitched battle. In 

 the interests of piety and morality of 



