216 PHEASANT. 



than the mule here alluded to, and from this greater resemblance to 

 the horse, it was pointed out rather as a curiosity. From hence the 

 writer infers, that the white pheasants, if they were mule birds, be- 

 tween the barn door cock and the hen pheasant, would, according to 

 this law of nature, take more of the shape, nature, and properties of 

 the male than of the female parent. But the reverse is the case : 

 white pheasants are perfect pheasants, in every respect but colour, 

 and whether male or female birds, have neither the comb, the gills, 

 nor the tail of the fowl; have no appearance of the fowl except in 

 their white colour. Now the tail of the pheasant is so remarkable 

 in its shape, as not to be found in any other class of British birds ; 

 and notwithstanding the rule of nature, that all animals should 

 preserve more of the shape and properties of the male than of the 

 female parent, yet the white pheasant, descended from the male fowl 

 and female pheasant, retains the tail of the latter perfect and un- 

 altered, and without any resemblance to that of the former. 



c ' From this identity of shape in the white pheasant and common 

 pheasant it is submitted, that the former cannot be a mule bird be- 

 tween the barn door cock and the hen pheasant. 



" And with respect to the colour of the white pheasant, it will 

 be presently urged, from the instances of white varieties in other 

 birds, that this cannot be a satisfactory reason for its being a mule 

 bird, or half a fowl. 



" But it should not be forgotten, that in the ' Instructions to 

 Young Sportsmen,' the taste of the white pheasant is mentioned as 

 like that of the fowl. To this the writer of these observations can 

 say nothing, but that it may depend on the imagination. Because 

 it is known to be a white pheasant, and supposed to be half a fowl, 

 the flavour of the bird may be judged rather from what is fancied, 

 than from what is tasted. The skin of the white pheasant, when 

 picked, is probably different (the writer says, probably, since he 

 cannot speak to the fact, for he has never seen a white pheasant 

 after it was picked) from that of other pheasants, and white, like 

 that of the fowl, which may also change the appearance of the flesh. 

 The whiteness of the skin will be owing to the colour of the feathers, 

 which will probably have that effect on the skin. We see this in a 

 pig; when scalded, and the hair taken off, the skin is either white, 

 or stained with black, according to the colour of the hair. 



" Secondly. It is well known, that other birds, besides pheasants, 

 are white, notwithstanding the colour of their kind is quite different, 



