244 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



the marshes the breed is smaller, being the purer bred little 

 marsh pheasant, which is the sweetest of all for the table. 

 That the pheasant is naturally a lover of water is proved by 

 his swimming like a duck if knocked into the water by the 

 gunner. 



Though the lordly bird, with his imperious voice, bright 

 plumage, and bounce, is looked upon by the Cockney 

 " lover of nature " as a park bird, he is a real marsh bird. 

 The true English pheasant ; the little brown pheasant, with 

 the darker-coloured hens, is a marsh bird, loving boggy 

 places, and often nesting in grassy tussocks surrounded by 

 water. 



