268 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



There is no reason to suppose that the cock pheasant differs 

 very much from the hen In the pigments within the feathers. 

 The difference we observe is one of disposition of those 

 pigments. In the hen the reds, the greens, the gold and 

 purples are mixed ; in the cock they are separated. In the 

 17 varieties of pheasants there are to be found cock birds 

 which at every point of the feathering have the complementary 

 colour to that which is in the same position in some other 

 species. Even the dark edging of the feathers is in some races 

 green and in the others purple. The backs are in some green, 

 in others red ; the breasts in some species golden, and in 

 others green. One cannot object to the introduction of any 

 of these 17 species so long as they are kept distinct. But we 

 do not want our pheasants to look as variegated as a race of 

 mongrels. The Mongolian pheasant is said to be more hardy 

 than our own cross bred, and in that case it would probably 

 suit us better as a bird of the coverts, but it drives away the 

 other birds from the food, which is a good reason as well as 

 its white wing coverts for not wishing to have it mixed with 

 the home stock. 



For some time it was believed that the Reeves pheasant 

 would not produce fertile offspring from any of the 17 sorts 

 typical of the common pheasant, but that is probably a 

 mistake. Nevertheless, if it is true that the hybrids breed in the 

 third season, any such deferred productiveness would not be 

 likely to have the smallest effect on our pheasant stock, and 

 consequently the Reeves pheasant can safely be turned out 

 in the coverts without fear of changing the character of our 

 good sporting birds. The same is true of the copper pheasant, 

 which, in nature and Japan, exists side by side with the green- 

 breasted versicolor, and does not inter-breed with it. As 

 the versicolor breeds freely with our birds, and is but a 

 variety in fact and only a species by courtesy of naturalists 

 to each other, it is pretty certain that this copper pheasant, 

 like the Reeves pheasant, can be safely turned loose in our 

 coverts. But the Reeves pheasant is a great runner, and it 

 is said that when he once does get started upon the wing he 



