164 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



fingered gentry who are adepts in wiring and snar- 

 ing, the more adventurous night poacher must 

 console himself with but few shots, at great inter- 

 vals of time and space, and moreover possess an 

 accurate knowledge of the country to enable him 

 to escape detection, and to secure such a booty as 

 will repay him for the hours mis-spent, and the 

 risks encountered in this precarious and unseason- 

 able occupation. 



The ring-necked variety, which is common 

 enough in some parts of the county, is less fre- 

 quently met with in the weald. Its origin may 

 probably be attributed to the introduction of the 

 Chinese species (Phasianus torquatus), which, 

 breeding freely with the common pheasant (Pha- 

 sianus Colchicus), became gradually intermixed 

 with it, but possessing less vigour and robustness 

 of constitution, its characteristic plumage was gra- 

 dually absorbed by its congener, and it has be- 

 queathed nothing but the imperfect ring of white 

 feathers to its descendants. 



Pied pheasants are not uncommon, particularly in 

 the neighbourhood of preserves, where the system 

 of rearing poults from eggs hatched under domes- 

 tic hens has been pursued during many successive 

 seasons. I confess that I am no admirer of these 

 parti-coloured birds, for I regard this aberration 

 from the true plumage as the unfailing sign of 



