APPENDIX B. 



FERTILITY OF HYBRID REEVES AND OTHER 

 PHEASANTS. 



' ^^tlNCE the foregoing pages were printed, I have, 

 ^ through the kindness of Mr. Digby Pigott, received 

 some interesting statements respecting the fertility 

 of cross-bred Reeves and other pheasants, as reared 

 on Lord Ducie's estate. His lordship, writing to Mr. 

 Pigott, says : — 

 My keeper knows of no case where hybrid Reeves 

 have proved fertile. 



'' Reeves hybridizes with Common, Gold, and Silver 

 pheasant, but for one generation only. 



'•'The hybrid between Reeves and Gold has occurred once 

 in the wild state and once in confinement. 



*' Reeves and Common pheasant makes a fine cross. The 

 resulting bird has a strange cry. I can detect them 200 to 

 300 yards away, as it is very loud. 



" Reeves in a wild state produces about five eggs, and 

 rarely rears more than four young; the Gold pheasant pro- 

 duces six to seven eggs. But natural or wild breeding is 



rare here, owing to the foxes. . , • n c 



" The Gold pheasant seems to prefer the ridges ot car- 

 boniferous limestone. 



"The Reeves pheasant strays sporadically. By rearing 

 forty to fifty annually I can keep up the number. 



"The Gold pheasant is abundant here. Traces of an 



