362 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



" Household Book"'^ of the L'Estrange's, of Hunstanton, 

 from which I have previously given extracts on the subject 

 of falconry, and here the pheasant is specially mentioned 

 both as a "quarry" for the hawks and an occasional 

 article of luxury for the table. Thus in the 11th year 

 of the reign of King Henry the Eighthf (1519) appears 

 amongst other '^ rewardes for bryngyng of p'sents." 

 ^^Itm to Mr. Asheley svnt for bryngyng of a fesaunt 

 cocke and iiij woodcocks ye xviijth daye of Octobre in 

 reward iiijd ;" also " Itm a fesand of gyste" (articles 

 received in lieu of rent) ; and twice in the same year we 

 find the following record : — " Itm a fesant kylled wt ye 

 goshawke." Singularly enough for the next thirteen 

 years no farther reference is made to this species, 

 although other game birds appear frequently, and pea- 

 cocks are brought in as articles of " store," with a reward 

 given to '^ye vicar of Thornhm svnt for bryng-yng of a 

 pehenne and iij young pehennys and vj plov's." In 

 1532, however, it again reappears in the following entry: 

 *' Itm in reward the vij day of Jun to Fulm'ston svante 

 for bryngynge iij fesands." These were, I presume, 

 for breeding purposes or to turn off amongst others on 

 the estate, as we can scarcely imagine that even in those 

 days roast pheasant was usual in the month of June 



* lu a similar publication, entitled "The regulations of the 

 Household of the Fifth Earl of Northumberland," begun in 1512, 

 the following are the comparative prices of fowl and other bu-ds 

 supplied for the table : — Cranes, IG**- ; herons, 12'*- ; woodcocks, l"*- 

 or 1^"^- ; sea gulls, l"^- or If"^- ; quails, 2''- ; snipes, 3*- a dozen ; 

 partridges, 2^- ; bitterns, 12"*- ; pheasants, 12'*- ; mallard, 2^- ; teal, 

 1^-; stints, 6''- a dozen; lapwings, l*"-; redshanks, 1*^-; curlews, 12** 

 At the present day it seems strange to find curlews, bitterns, and 

 pheasants all estimated at the same value for edible purposes. 



f Thompson, in his " Birds of Ireland," says of the Pheasant, 

 " The period of its introduction is unknown to me ; but in the year 

 1589, it was remarked to be common." 



