12 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



birds shot annually in the large preserves in this country and 

 in Europe, are of course reared from eggs placed under domestic 

 hens, who make excellent mothers to their foster-children. On 

 leaving her nest in the morning and evening in search of food, 

 the hen Pheasant is always careful to cover her eggs with dead 

 leaves, and she generally quits and returns to her nest on the 

 wing, thus avoiding as far as possible the danger of being 

 tracked by her enemies. 



The crow of the male resembles the syllables or-ork, which 

 are often repeated several times in succession, and may be 

 exactly imitated by opening the mouth and drawing the breath 

 in sharply to the back of the throat. This call is generally to 

 be heard in the morning and evening, especially about sunset, 

 when the birds are going to roost, but during the pairing- 

 season it may be heard at all times of the day, and is also 

 given vent to when they are flushed or suddenly startled by 

 the report of a gun, or a clap of thunder. 



There can be no doubt that if the Pheasant were not arti- 

 ficially reared and annually turned down in this country, it 

 would soon cease to exist, for, in hard winters especially, the old 

 birds left for stock are largely dependent on artificial feeding. 

 The chief food consists of grain, seeds, berries, and young 

 shoots, varied with insects and grubs, wire-worms being a 

 favourite morsel. 



Pure-bred examples of P. colchicus are now rarely to be met 

 with in England, the great majority of birds being hybrids with 

 the Chinese Ring-Necked Pheasant (/*. torquaius)^ which was 

 subsequently introduced. 



Like the rest of its kind, the Pheasant, though it roosts and 

 often perches on trees, is essentially a ground bird, and a tre- 

 mendous runner ; the old cocks, having learnt wisdom from 

 past experience, frequently refuse to rise at the net and face 

 the guns so anxiously waiting to salute them, and may be seen 

 running back among the beaters as fast as their legs can carry 

 them. The whir made in rising is loud and startling, but 



