116 BRITAIN^S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 



ant is the fact that the Pheasant is not a native of our 

 islands, but has been imported by human agency. The 

 date and other circumstances of its introduction into Eng- 

 land are unknown, but it appears to have been previous 

 to the eleventh century. The first notices we have of it 

 from Scotland and Ireland are from the sixteenth century. 

 The species has been similarly naturalised in most Euro- 

 pean countries, but is probably truly native in none of 

 them but the Balkan States. Asia Minor and the neigh- 

 bouring countries are the other parts of its original area, 

 as is vaguely indicated by the scientific names. 



The second objection is that the Pheasant lives under 

 semi-domesticated conditions for the most part, so far as 

 the British Isles are concerned. - Except for the period of 

 four months, 1st October to 1st February, during which 

 it is shot, it is pampered in every possible way. It is 

 protected from disturbance, it is given food, and its 

 natural enemies, true British birds and beasts, many of 

 them of a far nobler order, are ruthlessly shot down to 

 save this alien the trouble of taking care of itself! In 

 the nesting season this is still more apparent. Many more 

 Pheasants' eggs are hatched iinder domestic fowls or in 

 incubators than in the natm-al way. The young birds are 

 then reared under human supervision and turned out to 

 get wild enough to be shot ! Much of this seems to put 

 Pheasant-shooting beyond the limits of the best traditions 

 of sport. Among points put forward in its defence is 

 that a Pheasant well on the wing, whatever the nature of 

 its upbringing, is no easy mark for the gunner. Another 

 point of interest in connection with this semi-domestication 

 of the Pheasant is that the cock has become polygamous. As 

 with others of similar habits, he makes a bad father ; but 

 he has sometimes been detected taking a share in the 

 nesting duties. This adoption of polygamous habits is 



