Mr Gray on the Introduction of Reeves s Pheasant. 239 



XXI. On the Introduction of Reeves s Pheasant into Scottish 

 Game Preserves. By Egbert Gray, Esq. 



(Read 20 til December 1882.) 



Abstract. 



Mr Gray, the Secretary, drew tlie attention of the meeting 

 to two specimens of Eeeves's pheasant (Syrmaticus Reevesii), 

 which, through the courtesy of Lord Balfour of Burleigh, he 

 was enabled to exhibit, and read some very interesting notes 

 by Lord Balfour on the occurrence of this beautiful bird in a 

 wild or comparatively wild state in various British localities, 

 but principally in Scotland. During the past eight years 

 Eeeves's pheasants had been flying about wild in the woods of 

 Guisichan in the northern half of the county of Inverness, 

 the property of Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, now Lord Tweed- 

 mouth. More than one hundred had been shot there in the 

 course of a single season, and the birds were found to be as 

 hardy as (the young indeed more so than) the commoner 

 varieties of pheasant. In the wilds of that part of Scotland 

 the wandering propensities of the species were shown by the 

 circumstance that many of the birds had already found their 

 way many miles over the open hills to Balmacara. It was 

 also stated that forty male birds had been turned loose in the 

 woods of Tulliallan, Clackmannanshire, and that one of them, 

 which was identified by Lord Balfour, had been accidentally 

 shot. No hybridous eggs, however, had resulted from this 

 experiment. The two birds exhibited had lived in a wild 

 state along with others of the same species for six years at 

 Elvedon estate in Suffolk belonging to the Maharajah Duleep 

 Singh, and were shot there by Lord Balfour in October last, 

 the proprietor having yielded to the wish of his keeper that 

 the birds should be killed on account of their pugnacity. 

 Several hybrids had appeared during these years in the Elve- 

 don grounds. They were dark-coloured birds, heavier than 

 either parent, and with a white head and neck. 



Mr Gray observed that from the readiness with which this 

 beautiful pheasant seemed to adapt itself to our northern 

 preserves, it was not too much to expect that in a very few 

 years it would become thoroughly naturalised, and be found 

 in considerable numbers all over the country. 



