T H E P H E A S A N T. 27 



The pheafant has multiplied in its wild flate, and, as ifdifdaining 

 the protedion of man, has taken ihelter in woods and forcfts (not 

 iTKDuntains), attached to its native freedom; and now wild among us 

 ornaments our parks and plantations, where he feeds on acorns a.id ber- 

 ries. (In Italy, &c. frequents marlhes.) This fpirlt of indcpendance 

 feems to attend the pheafant in captivity ; and is fo influential as to ren- 

 der him folitary. In the woods, the hen lays from eighteen to twenty 

 eggs; in a domeftic ftate, feldom above ten. Is particular in making her 

 own neft, in coverts j when wild, (he maintains her brood with patience, 

 n^igilance, and courage: when tame, fhe never fits well; and as for 

 leading her young to their food, (he is utterly ignorant where to find it, 

 and they ftarve, if left folely to her. Sits twenty to twenty-five days. 



They have no great fagacity, and are ea(ily taken. At 'night they 

 rood on the higheft trees of the wood, head under the wing j by day they 

 defcend among the lower brakes and bufhes. The female has fcarce any 

 voice ; that of the male is between the peacock and the pintado, confc- 

 quently far from melodious. When taken young into keeping, they 

 become as familiar as chicken ; when they are defigned for breeding, 

 they are put together in a yard, (ive hens to a cock. The young arc 

 very difficult to rear, and muft be fupplied with ant-eggs, which is 

 their food when wild: infects make a variety. Lives fix or fevcn years. 

 From the common hen, coupled with the cock-pheafant (for the mixture 

 is not barren), will be produced a fpecies tamer, (Iron ger, and more pro- 

 lific. This is probably the cocquar, or baftard pheafant. 



It is alTertcdby fome, that fuch is the carnivorous difpoficion of this 

 bird, that when feveral are in the fame yard, if one fickens, or feems to 

 be pining, the reft will deftroy it. 



There are white pheafants, black and white pheafants, crefted phea- 

 fants, fpotted pheafants j but of all others, the golden pheafant of 

 China is the moft beautiful ; his plumage red, blue, and gold. He is 

 fmaller than the common. The iris, bill, and fectj yellow; his tail 

 long, no red round his eyes. The female is at firft but dull in her co- 

 lours, but in a few years acquires all the brilliancy of the male. 



There is alio a horned pheafant, having two horny excrefcences on the 

 head, blue, cylindrous, obtufe, inclining backwards. No red round 

 Jiis eyes, but black hairy-looking feathers, fomewhat of wattles under 

 throat- His hjrad red. 



In America a bird not truly a pheaiant, but reprefentativc of the fpe- 

 cies named Katraca. China and Thibet furnifn feveral birds allied to 

 the pheafant, and to the peacock, without being truly cither. 



6 THE 



