194 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



all practical purposes, in this country the bird is 

 missing. 



The little bustard, a dwarf compared to his giant 

 relative, is frequently met with in the eastern and 

 southern counties, frequently at least compared 

 with the larger bird I have mentioned. There is 

 no necessity for our going into details as to its 

 general habits and habitat, these agree with those 

 of the great bustard. Taking into consideration 

 the risk they -run when they do visit us, the wonder 

 is that they are found at all. 



The pheasant is a thoroughly naturalised importa- 

 tion. At the present time nearly all our pheasants 

 are more or less crossed with the ring-necked species. 

 The so-called old English pheasant is very rarely 

 seen now. I do not think this is of much conse- 

 quence, for the crosses are the handsomest birds 

 in many instances. 



If there is one bird more than another that will 

 put temptation in the way of youth, it is the 

 pheasant. Why will he persist, evening after even- 

 ing, when the trees are leafless, in roosting on the 

 top branches of some slim tree, directly over a well- 



