=^^ 



CHAPTER II 



The Ringneck — Its Evolution and Introduction into the 

 United States— First Steps in Pheasant Breeding 



The species of pheasant with whose breeding this manual has prin- 

 cipally to do is variously called in this country "English pheasant," 

 "English ringneck," "Chinese pheasant," "Mongolian pheasant" and 

 simply "Ringneck." This bird, as it exists in the eastern portion of this 

 country and almost wholly throughout the British Isles, is a cross between 

 the "common" pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, which takes its name from 

 the Colchis River in Asia Minor, and the "Chinese" pheasant, Phasianus 

 torquatus, and its proper designation is simply "Chinese." 



POSSIBLY INTRODUCED BY ROMANS.— Th 3 bird from Asia 

 Minor is thought by some to have been introduced into England by the 

 Romans, but Tegetmeier, the great English authority, thinks its acclima- 

 tization probably does not go back further than the Norman Conquest. 

 The Chinese bird, according to the same authority, w'as introduced "long 

 before 1790," though the exact date is not known. These birds are only 

 sub-specifically distinct and freely interbreed, their progeny being perfectly 

 fertile. In the British Isles it is said that cross breeding has progressed 

 to such an extent that a pure-bred common pheasant is a rarity. The 

 same may be said of the eastern part of the United States, but in the West 

 pure-bred Chinese pheasants, descendants of the original stock sent to 

 Oregon in 1880 and 1882 by the Honorable O. N. Denny, at that time United 

 States Consul at Shanghai, and of frequent importations in recent years, 

 constitute the major portion of the birds. 



BROUGHT TO UNITED STATES MORE THAN A CENTURY 

 AGO. — The first importation of pheasants into the United States of which 

 there is any record took place more than a century ago. The importer 

 was Richard Bache. The birds were brought from England and placed 

 on Mr. Bache's New Jersey estate. The experiment was not successful 

 and it may be said that the real introduction of the ringneck into the east- 

 ern part of the United States occurred in 1887 when the late Rutherfurd 

 Stuyvesant brought over a lot of birds from England and placed them on 

 his estate "Tranquillity" at Allamuchy, New Jersey, Donald Mac Vicar, 

 former head game keeper for the Duke of Leinster, Kildare, Ireland, was 

 given charge of these birds. Great discouragements were encountered 

 but Mr. Stuyvesant was not to be daunted and Mac Vicar rose to the situa- 

 tion with splendid courage. After several attempts the birds were finally 

 established. 



