THE PHEASANT. 329 



Disadvantages of their wings Habits. 



hen is generally made a substitute for the hen 

 pheasant. 



The wings of these birds are very short, and 

 ill adapted for considerable flights. On this ac- 

 count, the pheasants on the island called Isola 

 Madre in the Lago Maggiore at Turin, as they 

 cannot fly over the lake are altogether impri- 

 soned. -When they attempt to cross the lake, 

 unless picked up by the boatmen, they are always 

 drowned. 



In some respects this is a very stupid bird. 

 On being roused, it will often perch on a neigh- 

 bouring tree; where its attention will be so fixed 

 on the dogs, as to suffer the sportsman to ap- 

 proach very near. It has been asserted, that the 

 pheasant imagines itself out of danger whenever 

 its head only is concealed. Sportsmen, however, 

 who will recount the stratagems that they have 

 known old cock pheasants adopt in thick and ex- 

 tensive coverts, when they have found them- 

 selves pursued, before they could be compelled 

 to take wing, will convince us that this bird is L.^ 

 no means deficient in at least some of the con- 

 trivances necessary for its own preservation. 



On the approach of cold weather, these birds 

 begin to fly at sunset into the branches of the 

 oak-trees, for roosting during the night. This 

 they do more frequently as the winter advances, 

 and the trees lose their foliage. The male birds, 

 at these times, make a noise, which they repeat 

 three or four times, called by sportsmen, " cock- 



VOL. in. NO. xxn. 2r 



