PHASIANID.E. 809 



gives a receipt " for to boile Fesant, Ptruch, Capons 

 and Curlew :" this book appears to have been written 

 about A. D. 1381. The Pheasant is also mentioned 

 in the old ballad of the " Battle of Otterbourne," 

 still in Richard the Second's time about 1388 : 



" The Faulkone and the Fesante bothe 

 Amonge the holtes on hee :" 



and from that time to this the Pheasant is occasion- 

 ally mentioned by different writers. Mr. Harting 

 notices it amongst the " Birds of Shakspere : " 



" Clown Advocate's the court word for a Pheasant ; say 

 you have none. 



Shepherd None, sir; I have no Pheasant, cock nor 

 hen." 



The Pheasant, however, thrives and has thriven in 

 England for a very considerable period, and the 

 climate appears, to a certain extent, to suit it ; at 

 the same time I think it may be doubted whether 

 this bird would have lasted so long, or would 

 continue to claim a place among British birds, 

 without the care and attention and occasional food 

 bestowed upon it: a few hard winters and wet 

 springs and summers would reduce its numbers 

 sadly ; its numbers certainly could not be kept up to 

 the present battue standard without artificial means ; 

 accordingly great quantities are kept tame and bred 

 up like poultry, and merely turned out to be shot : 

 to what an extent this is done in some places may be 



