PHEASANT. 365 



year, and the jovmg when hatched are placed, with their 

 foster parents, under chicken coops, in some convenient 

 locality near the keeper's cottage, and a glance at the 

 number of these wooden nurseries is a pretty fair 

 criterion of the sport intended should the season prove 

 favourable. Now, however, is an anxious time for the 

 gamekeeper, if the weather becomes either too wet or 

 too dry for any lengthened period; and, frequently, in 

 spite of every care, the dreaded "gapes" decimates 

 the young broods and renders the prospect of a "big 

 day" at Christmas time extremely improbable. I have 

 even known a hydro-incubator employed with success 

 to facilitate these abnormal hatchings, requiring, of 

 course, the greatest watchfulness on the keeper's part, 

 who, "in loco jparentis,^^ should be instantly aware of 

 each nestling's birth ; it being obviously impossible for its 

 own mother to be, under the circumstances, acquainted 

 with the fact. 



In its semi-domesticated state, like our pigeons 

 and poultry, the common pheasant crosses readily 

 with its kindred species, and to so great an extent 

 has this been carried in Norfolk that except, as 

 before stated, in the wholly unpreserved districts, it 

 is difiicult at the present time to find a perfect speci- 

 men of the old English type (P. colchicus), without 

 some traces, however slight, of the ring-neck and other 

 marked features of the Chinese pheasant (P. torquatus), 

 and in many localities of the Japanese (P. versicolor) 

 to be hereafter noticed.^ In looking over a large 

 number of pheasants from different coverts, as I 



* Yarrell lias figured the pure Englisli pheasant, but Bewick's 

 exquisite woodcut is evidently taken from one of the ring-necked 

 cross, though described by him as merely a variety " met with in 

 the neighbourhood of Alnwick, whither they were brought by his 

 Grace the Duke of Northumberland." 



