22 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PHEASANTS. 
In Scotland it is very generally distributed in the western counties, from 
Wigtown in the south to Sutherland in the north. Mr. R. Gray, in his “ Birds 
of the West of Scotland,” writes: “In the neighbourhood of Loch Lomond, it 
may occasionally be noticed on the mountain sides, at a considerable elevation, 
sometimes as far up as twelve hundred feet. In Shemore glen, I have seen male 
birds rise from the heath among the rocks, and wheeling round direct their flight 
down the valley with extraordinary speed. Very different indeed is the flight of 
these strong-winged natives of the glen from that of over-fed birds in wooded 
preserves; and as one bird after another shoots past in high air, one can hardly 
resist the impression that, if left to its own selection, the pheasant would adapt 
itself wonderfully to the drawbacks of its adopted country. Mr. Elwes informs 
me that he has frequently seen pheasants in Islay get up in the most unlikely 
places, such as an open moor, miles away from any covert or -corn-field, and 
sometimes in a wet bog, where one would be more likely to find a snipe. On 
that island, where it was introduced about thirty years ago by Mr. Campbell, 
the pheasant is now not uncommon, and appears to be on the increase. In the 
Outer Hebrides it has likewise been introduced into Lewis by Sir James Matheson, 
who has obligingly informed me that, since its introduction twelve or fifteen years 
ago, it has become fairly established, although it has not increased to the extent 
that might have been expected in a more favourable locality. ‘The deep drains 
in the peat moss,’ writes Sir James, ‘are supposed to be the cause of the death 
of the young chicks by their falling into them. For some years at first there 
was a want of covert for pheasants, but they are now better off in this respect, and 
are increasing. gradually. Some of the first brood wandered about sixteen miles to 
the west side of the island, it is supposed in quest of covert.’”’ 
The introduction of the pheasant into the northern districts of Scotland is, 
however, of comparatively recent date, for in the sixth edition of Moubray’s 
“Domestic Poultry,’ 1830, it is stated: “In 1826, a solitary cock pheasant made 
his appearance as far north as a valley of the Grampians, being the first that had 
been seen in that northern region;’ and my old friend, Andrew Halliday, told 
me that he remembered perfectly the introduction of the birds into the coverts 
near Banff belonging to the Earl of Fife, in which locality, Thomas Edwards, the 
Scottish naturalist, whose life has been so graphically written by Mr. Smiles, tells us 
it now seems to thrive very well, and is a beautiful ornament to parks and woods. 
In Ireland it is also abundant, the common species being, according to Mr. 
W. Thompson, the well-known natural historian of the island, frequent in the various 
wooded parts, at least where it has been protected and preserved. “In the counties 
of Antrim and Down,” remarks this writer, “the ring-necked variety—considered to 
have originally proceeded from a cross between the common and true ring-necked 
pheasant (P. torquatus)—is not uncommon.” 
