THE MONGOLIAN PHEASANT. 175 



With regard to the true Mongolian, the Hon. Walter 

 Kothschild, writing in the Field of June 20, 1903, says : — 



''I have, however, had a number of the true Mongolian 

 pheasant (P. mongolicus) alive at Tring for two or three 

 years, and have had a number of young, both pure a.nd 

 half-bred, hatched and reared in our coverts, and those which 

 were shot proved much superior in flavour and size to 

 ordinary pheasants. Cock birds hatched in June were as 

 full plumaged and iveighed as much as two-year-old common 

 pheasants.'^ 



It is exceedingly satisfactory to know that the half-bred 

 P. mongolicus have proved successful in the coverts. At 

 Tring, several hundred were reared, and came to the gun in 

 1903. The male hybrids have very much the appearance of 

 the pure P. mongolicus, as shown in the coloured engraving, 

 the wing coverts are not so clear in the white : but in 

 beauty, hardihood, and qualities on the table they leave 

 nothing to be desired. 



The directions published by the Massachusetts Game 

 Commission as to rearing the supposed Mongolian, but really 

 Chinese Eing-necked pheasant, successfully on the maggots 

 of the blue-bottle, or blow-fly, where ants' eggs cannot be 

 obtained, are so important that although they were issued in 

 error as to the species of pheasant, I think they are perfectly 

 worth reproduction, and therefore insert the following 

 extract from the report : — 



" The arrangement for raising maggots is simple and easily 

 constructed. A small house 6ft. by 8ft. and 6 ft. high was 

 framed and covered with matched boards. Four windows 

 were cut in it, but, instead of glass, they were covered on the 

 outside with jin. mesh wire cloth, and solid shutters hinged 

 on the outside. A ventilator Sin. square and 12ft. high was 

 attached to the roof. By opening the door and windows the 

 house was suflBciently ventilated in a short time to do what 

 work was necessary inside. Across one side, near the top, 

 and about lOin. from the boarding, a joist was fastened. 



