168 WHITE PHEASANT HIMALAYAN DITTO. [PART II. 



the egg-shells thus disposed, yet I am far from 

 saying that it is confined to those species. 



The eggs of the White Pheasant are smaller 

 and rounder than those of the Common Pheasant, 

 and thus easily distinguishable from them. I have 

 the authority of a keeper, who kept both kinds 

 separate, though in adjoining houses, for saying 

 that they also lay about a fortnight earlier than 

 the common ones. These peculiarities would tend 

 to prove that the two are quite distinct breeds, 

 instead of the white birds, as some persons sup- 

 pose, being a mere variety the albinoes of the 

 Common Pheasant. They will mate freely with 

 the Common Pheasant, and the offspring of such 

 union will again breed ; pied, white, and ordinarily 

 coloured birds being the result; but, where the 

 breed was originally pure, and they have been 

 kept separate, I have never known an instance 

 (and I have seen them kept so a good many 

 years in succession) where they have produced 

 other than perfectly white birds. 



The eggs of the Himalayan Pheasant are also 

 somewhat smaller, rounder, and more richly co- 

 loured than those of the Common Pheasant, and 

 come in (I am informed by a friend's keeper) 

 about a week or ten days earlier. 



