THE PHEASANT 243 



white. In the willow grouse there is no black 

 on the lores, as in the male of the true 

 ptarmigan. 



It is impossible to say when the pheasant first 

 made its appearance in England, but it is stated 

 to have existed in this country before the Norman 

 invasion. It may, for aught that is known to the 

 contrary, have been indigenous. Since those 

 days, the pheasant has undergone a consider- 

 able change, and the old-fashioned English red 

 bird is now but rarely seen, having been 

 crossed with the Chinese or Japanese varieties. 

 Beautiful as the result of this admixture of 

 foreign blood most undoubtedly is, I am by 

 no means so sure that either the sporting or 

 edible qualities of the bird have been equally 

 advanced. 



Pheasants have frequently been known to mate 

 with other birds, and it has been asserted that the 

 hybrid offspring of such unions have proved fertile. 

 Letters on this subject have, from time to time, 

 appeared in the Field. 



The number of pheasants annually reared at 

 the present day in England alone is very great. 

 The craze for good pheasant-shooting is rapidly 

 increasing, and to such an extent as to make 

 the preservation of pheasants a profitable invest- 

 ment to the landowners, who, for the right of 

 killing the game reared by them, are able to 

 secure rentals which appear well-nigh phenomenal, 

 especially when the owner reserves the game shot 



