PHEASANT-SHOOTING. 793 



is grain and seeds, but in spring and summer it lives more 

 upon roots and insects. Selby observed that the root of the 

 bulbous crowfoot, a common but acrid meadow-plant, is a 

 particular favourite with this bird, and forms a great portion 

 of its food during the months of May and June. The 

 root of the garden tulip is also an article of diet, which 

 it omits no opportunity of obtaining, and which by means 

 of its bill and feet it speedily reaches, however deeply 

 planted. 



Mr. Yarrell says : — " A history of our pheasant would be 

 incomplete if left without any notice of that remarkable as- 

 sumption of plumage resembling the male observed to take 

 place in some of the females, which is well known to sports- 

 men and gamekeepers, by whom such birds are usually called 

 Mule Pheasants. The name is correct, since some of our dic- 

 tionaries show that the term " mule" is derived from a word 

 which signifies barren, and that hen pheasants are incapable 

 of producing eggs, from a derangement of the generative 

 organs, sometimes an original internal defect, sometimes from 

 subsequent disease, and sometimes from old age. The dis- 

 organization is marked by the appearance of a dark lead 

 colour, pervading the ovarium, situated on the middle line, 

 and between the two kidneys, which dark colour is seen in 

 patches on various parts of the oviduct below ; and I have 

 never examined a hen pheasant, assuming the plumage of 

 the male, without finding more or less of the appearance 

 mentioned.^' The writer examined a young female, which 

 was assuming the male plumage, and found that it was en- 

 tirely divested of the ovarium, consequently it was one of 

 those born barren ; otherwise, the bird was in perfect health. 

 That specimen is now in the museum of the Manchester Na- 

 tural History Society, where there are several of these in 

 more perfect male plumage. These lusus natures will at 



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