PHEASANT. 



f the common pheasants M r ere often seen among the white barn door 

 Jowls;' and recollecting the story of Jacob's contract with Laban, in 

 the 30th chapter of Genesis, he began to think white pheasants were 

 produced by the impression made on the hen pheasant, from having 

 white fowls before her during the period of gestation. In the above 

 account in Genesis it appears, that Jacob's stratagem fully succeeded, 

 for we are told in the last verse, that ' the man increased exceedingly, 

 and had much cattle.' These ring-streaked and speckled cattle of 

 Jacob, and the brown sheep, were evidently caused by impression, 

 or the operation of an outward appearance upon, and influencing, the 

 senses, as will appear by reading, attentively, the story from the 

 25th to the 43d verse: and besides the peeled rods obtruded before 

 the eyes of the cattle during the time of conception, he set * the faces 

 of the flocks toward the ring-streaked and all the brown in the flock 

 of Laban.' 



" If then beasts may be affected by impression, or the operation of 

 an outward appearance on the senses, is it unreasonable to suppose, 

 that birds may be affected in the same manner ? and if by having 

 peeled rods placed before them, and their ; faces set toward the ring- 

 streaked,' an impression was made on these cattle, causing them to 

 produce their young of that colour, may not the same cause have the 

 same effect on pheasants ? and the hen pheasant, by being among 

 white fowls, and having them before her eyes, be the mother of young, 

 of a pied or white colour ? 



" But it will be said, ' Here are fowls of several colours besides 

 white : with which pheasants are likely to mix in the fields, and this 

 will destroy the probability of pheasants becoming white by impres- 

 sion made on the hen pheasant, since, as there are black and brown 

 fowls, why should not pheasants become black or brown from the 

 same cause?' 



" It is submitted, in answer to this objection, that a white fowl is 

 of a more glaring and obtrusive colour than any other, and conse- 

 quently more likely to catch the eye, and make a stronger impression 

 on the hen pheasant, from its striking peculiarity, and, as it respects 

 the pheasant, deformity. 



" But further, though we often hear of a variety of any particular 

 species of bird, yet that variety is almost always either white, or a 

 mixture of white with the natural colour. If among birds there be 

 a lusus naturae, she, in her freak, seldom deviates from this colour. 

 And notwithstanding these white varieties may be fairly termed rarae 



