154 FAUNA OF SHROPSHIRE. 



present day, however, bags of forty and fifty brace are 

 not uncommon, and even ninety brace have been re- 

 corded. From the Longmynd, as a centre, the Red 

 Grouse have spread to other hills in Shropshire, and they 

 are now found firmly established on the Clee Hills, and 

 Clun Forest, and stray birds are met with on the Ercall 

 Hill, and in other strange places. Of course it cannot be 

 stated with certainty that these have all sprung from the 

 Yorkshire birds, as there is no barrier to prevent the 

 influx of others from the Radnorshire and Berwyn moun- 

 tains, where there have always been Red Grouse. 

 Furthermore it is difficult to imagine why the Longmynd 

 should have been devoid of this species before 1840, seeing 

 how eminently suitable the district is to its habits. 

 Grouse are subject to a peculiar disease, the nature and 

 cause of which are but little understood. 



PHEASANT B. Common everywhere, owing to the pro- 

 Phasianus Colchicm. tection of the game laws. The true old 

 English breed is characterized by the 

 dark colour of the whole neck. It is gradually disappear- 

 ing by interbreeding with the next species, and pure-bred 

 P. colchicus are getting scarce. The Illustration on page 

 177 shows a male and female ot the true breed, and the 

 dark throat and neck of the former is very evident, while 

 the light buff and brown plumage of the hen is equally 

 conspicuous. 



RING-NECKED PHEASANT. B. This species was 



P. torqualus. introduced into England about a 



century ago. It is distinguished from 



the preceding by its generally lighter colouring and by 



a band of white feathers in front of the neck. In Shrop- 



