PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



months of the year. Amongst forest plants, it likes the seeds 

 of the hemp-nettle (Galeopsis), and it also feeds on almost all 

 the seeds that the farmer sows." 



To this long catalogue of its continental fare may be 

 added the roots of the silver weed (Potentilla anserina), and 

 those of the pig-nut or earth-nut (Bunium flexuosum] , and the 

 tubers of the common buttercups (Ranunculus bulbosus and 

 R.ficaria), which are often scratched out of the soil and eaten. 

 Macgillivray states that " One of the most remarkable facts 

 relative to this bird that has come under my observation, was 

 the presence of a very large quantity of the fronds of the 

 common polypody (Poly podium vulgar e) in the crop of one 

 which I opened in the winter of 1835. I am not aware that 

 any species of fern has ever been found constituting part of 

 the food of a ruminating quadruped or gallinaceous bird ; and 

 if it should be found by experiment that the pheasant 

 thrives on such substances, advantage might be taken of the 

 circumstance." 



Thompson in his " Natural History of Ireland " recounts 

 the different varieties of food he observed in opening the 

 crops of ten pheasants from November to April inclusive. 

 In seven he discovered the fruit of the hawthorn, with grain, 

 small seeds, and peas. In one no less than thirty-seven 

 acorns. Another had its crop nearly filled with grass ; only 

 one contained any insects, the period of examination being 

 the colder months of the year ; in summer the pheasant is 

 decidedly insectivorous ; all contained numerous fragments 

 of stone. He also records that in the spring the yellow 

 flowers of the pilewort (Ranunculus ficaria) are always eaten 

 in large quantity, as are the tuberous roots of the common 

 silver weed (Potentilla anserina), when they are turned up by 

 cultivation. Mr. Thompson adds : " While spending the 

 month of January, 1849, at the sporting quarters of 

 Ardimersy Cottage, Island of Islay, where pheasants are 

 abundant, and attain a very large size the ring-necked 

 variety, too, being common I observed that these birds, in 



