Pheasant. RASORES. PHASIANUS. 417 



COMMON PHEASANT. 



Phasianus colchicus, Linn. 

 PLATE LVIL 



Phasianus colchicus, Liim. Svst. 1. p. 270. .3 — Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 7-11 Briss. 



1. p. 2C2. 1 — Rail Syn. p." 50. A. 1 Will. p. II7. t. 28. 



Le Faisan vulgaire, Buff. Ois. v. 2. p. 328. — 7r/. PI. Enl. 121. and 122 



Temm. Pig. et Gall. v. 1. p. 289 — Id. Man. d'Omith. v. 2. p. 453. 

 Dergemeine Fasan, Beclist. Natnrg. Deut. v. 3. p. 1100 Meyer, Tasschenb. 



V. 1. p. 291 — Frisch. Vog. t. 123. 

 Common Pheasant, Albm,\. t. 25, 26 — Will. (Angl.) p. 103. t. 28 Lath. 



Syn. 4. p. 712. 4 — Haye's Br. Birds, t. 20 Leici,rs Br. Birds- 3. t. 31. 



Mont. Ornith. Diet. v. 2 Id. Supp Wale. Syn. 2. t. 178 Pult. Cat. 



Dorset, p. 7- — Don, Br. Birds, v. 5. t. 101. — Bewick''s Br. Birds, v. 1. j). 



t. 282, ring-necked var. 



Although the Pheasant has been for such a length of time 

 a naturalised inhabitant of this country, the cause of its pre- 

 servation must be referred, not so much to the wildness of 

 its nature, as to the care and expense bestowed to that end 

 by noblemen, and other considerable landed proprietors, 

 without which the breed would, in ail probability, have been 

 long since extinct. Independent of the beauty of its plu- 

 mage as an object of idle acquisition, the high estimation it 

 bears at the tables of the wealthy and luxurious proves too 

 tempting an inducement for the poacher, whose facilities of 

 capture are greatly increased by the peculiar habits of the 

 species. 



Thick underwood, abounding in brambles and long grass, 

 is the favourite resort of the Pheasant, and here it lies con- 

 cealed during the day, its times for feeding in the adjoining 

 fields being at the dawning, and at sunset. In its progress 

 to the feeding-ground it always runs, and, on this account, 

 is very easily taken by wire-snares set in the narrow paths 

 that it makes through the long grass, and which it constant- 

 ly frequents. Its habit of roosting upon trees is, however, 

 still more fatal to this bird, since, from being an object of 



VOL. I. D d 



