iv PREFACE. 



some of these are well suited to our coverts, whilst others 

 are regarded as oruamental birds. A few years since the 

 only pheasant breeding wild in England was the common 

 species [Phasianus colchicns) ; our coverts now possess the 

 Chinese (P. torqiuitus) , the Mongolian (P. mongolicus), the 

 Japanese (P. vei^sicolor), and the Prince of Wales's (P. pi-i.nci- 

 jpalis) species ; whilst the Eeeves's pheasant (P. reevesii), well 

 adapted both for sporting and culinary purposes, has been bred 

 in the forests of Scotland. In the same manner, our aviaries 

 have recently been enriched by the addition of the Amherst 

 pheasant [Thanmalea amJierstise) and others, which, by their 

 exquisite beauty, eclipse even the gorgeous coloration and 

 elegant markings of the comparatively well-known Gold and 

 Silver pheasants. 



To indicate and illustrate these various species, to give 

 as far as is known their natural history, to describe the 

 best methods of rearing them in preserves and inclosed 

 pheaaantries, to enter into the numerous details respecting 

 their food, management, protection, rearing, diseases, &c., is 

 the object at which I have aimed in the preparation of this 

 work. 



In the following chapters I first treat of the natural 

 history of the pheasants generally — their food, habits, 

 nesting, &c. Then follows the consideration of their 

 management in preserves, the details of the different 

 methods of feeding the birds, their protection from their 

 numerous enemies, the formation of coverts, &c. This is 

 succeeded by an account of their treatment in inclosed 

 pheasantries, the hatching of the eggs, rearing and feeding 

 the young birds, and the prevention and cure of their 

 diseases. 



