592 • A VES— PHEASANT. 



and clutch at a time ; but as this bears no proportion to the number of her 

 eggs, schemes have been imagined to clutch all the eggs of an hen, and thus 

 turn her produce to the greatest advantage. The contrivance we mean is 

 the artificial method of hatching chickens in stoves, as is practised at Grand 

 Cairo; or in a chemical laboratory, properly graduated, as has been effected 

 by Mr Reaumur. At Grand Cairo, they thus produce six or seven thousand 

 chickens at a time; where, as they are brought forth in their mild spring, 

 which is warmer than our summer, the young ones thrive without clutching. 

 But it is otherwise in our colder and unequal climate ; the little animals 

 may, without much difficulty, be hatched from the shell ; but they almost 

 all perish when excluded. Recent attempts have been made to apply steam 

 to the purpose of hatching fowls. The cock is a short-lived animal ; but 

 how long these birds live, if left to themselves, is not yet well ascertained 

 by any historian. 



THE PHEASANT.i 



The pheasant is the bird of Phasis, a river of Colchis, in Asia Minor, 

 whence they were first introduced into Europe. 



Next to the peacock they are the most beautiful of birds, as well for the 

 vivid color of their plumes as for their happy mixtures and varieties. It is 

 far beyond the power of the pencil to draw any thing so glossy, so bright, or 

 points so finely blending into each other. We are told that Avhen Crcesus, 

 king of Lydia, was seated on his throne, adorned with royal magnificence, 

 and all the barbarous pomp of eastern splendor, he asked Solon if he had 

 ever beheld any thing so fine ? The Greek philosopher, no way moved by 

 the objects before him, or taking a pride in his native simplicity, replied, 

 that after having seen the beautiful plumage of the pheasant, he could be 

 astonished at no other finery. 



In fact, nothing can satisfy the eye with a greater variety and richness of 

 ornament than this beautiful creature. The iris of the eyes is yellow; and 

 the eyes themselves are surrounded with a scarlet color, sprinkled with small 

 specks of black. On the fore part of the head there are blackish feathers 

 mixed with a shining purple. The top of the head and the upper part of the 

 neck are tinged with a darkish green that shines like silk. In some, 

 the top of the head is a shining blue, and the head itself, as well as the upper 

 part of the neck, appears sometimes blue and sometimes green, as it is diflfe- 



' Phasianus Colchicus, Lin. The genus Phasianus has the hill short, thickened, naked 

 at the base; bent towards the lip; nostrils basal, lateral; cheeks naked, warty; ears 

 covered ; three toes before, united to the first joint, and one behind ; tarsi furnished with 

 spurs in the males ; tail elongated cuneiform, and composed of eighteen feathers ; wings 

 snort. 



