296 



THE AMERICAN POULTERER'S COMPANION. 



THE MJEASAKT. 



feathers, somewhat elongated, and fonning at 

 pleasure a slight erectile crest ; a warty space 

 over the eyes; tail short, rounded, and of a 

 dusky color; head, with the bare space over 

 the eyes, bright scarlet, and the bare space 

 on the neck orange; throat and sides of the 

 head cream-color; a dark, longitudinal stripe 

 under the eye. The general plumage is varie- 

 gated with transverse markings of black, red- 

 dish-brown, and white ; breast and under parts 

 brown, transversely marked with white ; throat 

 marked with touches of brown. 



The female is considerably less than the 

 male, of a lighter color, destitute of the neck- 

 wings, of the naked sacculated appendages, and 

 the semicircular comb over the eye. It feeds 

 on green lichens, buds, clover leaves, and vari- 

 ous kinds of berries ; buds of the pine, grain, 

 and insects, constitute the food of the prairie 

 fowl. 



The prairie hen is said to be easily tamed, 

 and with a little care might soon be domesti- 

 cated. Coops of these birds have occasionally 

 been exhibited at several of our agricultural 

 and poultry shows, but as yet we have no knowl- 

 edge of any having been domesticated, although 

 a number of attempts have been made. The 



cause, however, may probably have been more 

 from ignorance of their habits, than inattention 

 to their wants. They sell at from 75 cents to 

 $1 per pair in our markets in the winter. 



THE PHEASANT. 



The so called English pheasant was original- 

 ly brought from the banks of the Phasis, a riv- 

 er in Calchis, Asia Minor, and has complete- 

 ly naturalized itself in England. It is a hardy 

 bird, and bears the cold months very well. Al- 

 though it can be tamed, and will come to be 

 fed with the poultry, yet an innate timidity 

 seems to prevent it from being thoroughly do- 

 mesticated. Young pheasants that have been 

 hatched under a hen, scamper off in terror if 

 an unexpected intruder makes his appearance 

 among them, although the remainder of the 

 poultry remain perfectly unconcerned. 



It is supposed, and believed by some, that 

 the English ring-necked pheasant is a hybrid 

 between the pheasaianus colchecus and p. torqua- 

 tor of China. This cross is very prolific, and 

 is said to be spreading faster than the ordinary 

 breed. 



Of the time of the introduction of the pheas- 

 ant into England we have no positive evidence. 



