May 



hollow part of the hedge, where the dead twigs had 

 fallen away, leaving a gap at one side of the nest, 

 this gap had been stopped by a rough platform of 

 woven grass stems independent of the nest, and a 

 portion of this platform appears to the right of the 

 nest in the picture. 



Perhaps there is little more excuse for putting in 

 an illustration of a pheasant's nest than there would 

 be for illustrating nests of farmyard fowls which, 

 through some passing aberration, had "laid away." 

 Unlike the cuckoo of the Board School boy " what 

 don't lay her own eggs " the pheasant does lay her 

 own eggs, but this is about the only thing that she 

 does for herself. The keeper gathers them up, and 

 the domestic hen hatches them, or if, by misadven- 

 ture, the pheasant hatches out a couple of chicks on 

 her own account, as soon as they get their legs, she 

 is off with them, and leaves the remaining eggs to 

 their fate. Considering that this bird has for 

 centuries been the object of man's protection, it is, 

 perhaps, no matter for surprise that it has become a 

 shiftless imbecile, not to mention that, although a 

 monogamist in a state of nature, in its domesticated 

 state it has degenerated into a polygamist. And to 

 think of the fine species of these islands which are 

 persecuted to the point of extinction to preserve this 

 consecrated popinjay ! 



169 



