PHEASANT AND GAME PRESERVING 165 



"Probably no man," writes Sir Walter Gilbey, 

 whose experience as a game-preserver gives weight 

 to his dicta, has ever done so much as Tegetmeier 

 " to promote sound and practical views on the 

 subject of rearing game and poultry. His native 

 commonsense and sound judgment, backed as 

 they were by medical training and unequalled 

 experience, gave him a unique authority : he 

 stood alone in his particular department." 



The writer on natural history just quoted is 

 undoubtedly correct in his view that much of 

 Tegetmeier's authority on game-preserving was 

 due to his knowledge of anatomy and medicine ; 

 throughout all his work there ran the golden 

 vein of his love of science, his worship of truth ; 

 even in his most practical books he often would 

 " drop into " pure science. Thus, apart from 

 many other quotations from scientific observers 

 in his book on Pheasants, he twice quotes from 

 Darwin's Descent of Man passages in support 

 of his own observation or remarks on certain 

 points. I am tempted, especially in view of the 

 kindness of Messrs. Horace Cox, the publishers 

 of Tegetmeier on Pheasants, in allowing me to 

 reprint the charming drawing of the Argus 

 pheasant by the late Mr. T. W. Wood illustrating 

 it, to give the following extract dealing with the 

 remarkable display of plumage by the male bird 

 when courting the female. Darwin writes (says 

 Tegetmeier) in Vol. II., p. 91 : " The immensely 



