40 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



has been introduced into the Eastern States on the Atlantic 

 sea board. 



The earliest recorded attempt at introduction was made 

 by Richard Bache more than a century ago. He imported 

 birds from England and liberated them on his estate in 

 New Jersey, but,, in spite of every care in feeding and pro- 

 tecting them, none survived the ensuing winter. A second 

 attempt, made some years later in the same State, had a 

 precisely similar ending. Subsequently Robert Oliver, of 

 Harewood, Baltimore, turned out, on different estates, a con- 

 siderable stock bred from imported birds, but though some 

 of these did well for a time they ultimately disappeared. 



In spite, however, of these initial failures, efforts to 

 acclimatise the pheasant continued to be made and finally 

 succeeded, so much so, that in recent years breeding has been 

 extensively pursued in the United States, until it has assumed 

 the dimensions of a new industry, the experiments ranging 

 from a few pairs to undertakings in which thousands of birds 

 are kept, and the united efforts of private individuals, associa- 

 tions, and State game officials have led to a very large increase 

 in the stock of pheasants. 



The severity of the winters in some of the States may 

 account for many of the failures. In. others the climate and 

 conditions are more favourable, and this would appear to be 

 specially the case in Oregon, where excellent results have 

 been achieved. In 1880 and 1881 consignments of ring-neck 

 pheasants from Shanghai were made by the Hon. 0. 1ST. Denny, 

 the U.S.A. consul there. These were liberated in Oregon, 

 where their increase has been so remarkably rapid that on 

 the opening day of the shooting season in 1892 50,000 were 

 reported to have been bagged. It is from the Oregon 

 pheasantries that many other States have obtained their 

 stocks. Massachusetts, after encountering many difficulties, 

 has now a fair number of birds in its preserves. Similiar 

 efforts were made in Ohio, but, though successful for a 

 time, the impression has gained ground that the climate is 



