PHEASANT SHOOTING. 73 



interbreed, however, and from this circumstance it has been con- 

 jectui-ed by naturalists that the difference between them arises 

 more from accidental causes than from any distmct law of a fixed 

 variety. 



The common pheasant is described as being two feet eleven 

 inches in length, " The bill is of a pale horn colour, and the nostrils 

 are hidden under an arched covermg. The eyes are yellow, and 

 suiTOunded bv a space, in appearance Kke scarlet cloth finely spotted 

 with black. Under each eye there is a small patch of short teatliers, 

 of a dark glossy purple ; the upper sections of the head and neck 

 are of a deep purple, inclining to glossy green and blue. Ihe lower 

 parts of the neck and breast are of a reddish chestnut, with black 

 mdented edges, and the sides and lower portion of the breast is of 

 the same hue, with prettv large tips of black to each feather, which 

 in various lights varv to a glossy purple. The belly and vent are 

 dusky ; the back and scapulars beautifully variegated with black 

 and white, or cream colour speckled Avith black, and mixed vnih deep 

 orange on all the feathers, edged with black. On the lower parts 

 of the back is a mixture of green ; the quills are dusky, freckled with 

 white. The wing-coverts are brown, glossed with green and edged 

 with white ; the rump is a pale reddish bro^^ai, and the two middle 

 feathers of thetail are about twenty inches long, the shortest on 

 each side less than five, and are of a reddish brown, marked with 

 transverse bars of black. The legs are dusky, with a short blunt 

 spur on each, but in some old birds the spiu'S are sharp as needles, 

 and between the toes there is a strong membrane. Ihe iemale is a 

 good deal less, and is not gifted with that variety and brilliancy ot 

 plumage which characterizes the male ; her general colours are 

 fight and dark bro\vm, mixed with black; the breast and belly are 

 beautifully freckled with smaU black spots on a lignt ground, the 

 tail is short, and barred, somewhat resembhng that ot the male, but 

 not so strikinglv interesting ; the space around and about the eye 

 is covered with 'feathers. The common pheasant_ is generally lound 

 in low and woodv localities, on the borders of plains, on which they 

 delight to gambol and sport ; during the night they roost on the 

 branches of trees. They are distinguished by a great shyness and 

 do not associate much together, except during the months ot MarcU 

 and April, when the male is in quest of the iemale ; they are then 

 easily known bv the noise which they make m crowing and clappmg 

 their wings, and which may be heard at a considerable _ distance 

 The hens make their nests on the ground, hke the partridge, and 

 lav from twelve to fifteen olive coloui-ed eggs, which are smaller 

 than those of the domestic hen. The young nm after the mother 

 as soon as freed from the shell. Durmg the breeding- season, it has 

 been often ascertained that the cock pheasant will intermix witH 

 our common hens, and produce a hybrid breed. +i + «.i. 



Sir Wilham Jardine. in his Nahirahsfs Ubrarp, tells us that it 

 is now ^enerallv admitted that the pheasant was originally intro- 

 duced into Europe from the banlvs of the Phasis (now the iiioni), a 



