18 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PHEASANTS. 
History of England” to the effect that in the year 1299 (the twenty-seventh of 
Edward I.) the price of a pheasant was fourpence, a couple of woodcocks three- 
halfpence, a mallard three-halfpence, and a plover one penny. . 
“To these notices,’ writes my friendly critic in the Saturday Review, 
“might have been added another which seems to set the pheasant at a higher 
premium, but which has escaped Mr. Tegetmeier—to wit, that in 1170 Thomas 
a Becket, on the day of his martyrdom, dined on a pheasant, and enjoyed it, as 
it would seem from the remark of one of his monks, that ‘he dined more heartily 
and cheerfully that day than usual.’ ”’ 
A most interesting series of extracts respecting the medieval history of 
this bird is to be found in Mr. Harting’s “Ornithology of Shakespeare,” from 
which we quote the following: 
“Leland, in his account of the feast given at the inthronisation of George 
Nevell, Archbishop of York, in the reign of Edward IV., tells us that, amongst 
other good things, two hundred ‘fesauntes’ were provided for the guests. 
“Tn the ‘Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York,’ under date ‘the 
-xiiij™ day of Novembre,’ the following entry occurs: 
“<«Ttm. The same day to Richard Mylner of Byndfeld for bringing 
a present of fesauntes cokkes to the Queen to Westminster... vs. 
“In the ‘Household Book’ of Henry Percy, fifth Harl of Northumberland, 
‘which was commenced in 1512, the pheasant is thus referred to: 
“<«Ttem, Frsauntes to be hade for my Lordes own Mees at Principall Feestes 
and to be at xijd. a pece.’ 
“<«Ttem, Fussauntis for my Lordes owne Meas to be hadde at Principalle 
Feistis ande to be at xijd. a pece.’* 
* « As a copy of the ‘ Northumberland Household Book’ is not readily accessible, we give the followmg 
interesting extract, showing the price, at that date, of various birds for the table: 
Capons at tid. a pece leyn (lean). 
Chickeyns at $d. a pece. 
Hennys at iid. a pece. 
Swannys (no price stated). 
Geysse uid. or iid. at the moste. 
Pluvers id. or idd. at moste. 
Cranys xvid. a pece. 
Hearonsewys (i.e. Heronshaws 
or Herons) xiid. a pece. 
Mallardes ud. a pece. 
Woodcokes id. or idd. at the 
moste. 
Teylles id. a pece. 
Wypes (2.2. Lapwings) id. a pece. 
Seegulles id. oridd. at the moste. 
Styntes after vi. a id. 
Quaylles iid. a pece at moste. 
Snypes after ui. a id. 
Perttryges at iid. a pece. 
Redeshankes itd. 
Bytters (i.e. Bitterns) xiid. 
Fesauntes xiid. 
Reys (ae. Ruits and Reeves) iid. 
a pece. 
Sholardes vid. a pece. 
Kyrlewes xd. a pece. 
Pacokes xiid. a pece. 
See-Pyes (no price). 
Wegions at idd. the pece. 
Knottes id. a pece. 
Dottrells id. a pece. 
Bustardes (no price). 
Ternes after iii. a id. 
Great byrdes after iii. a id. 
Small byrdes after xii. for iid. 
Larkys after xii. for 1d.” 
This extract is especially interesting as throwing light incidentally on the condition of the country ; 
the unreclaimed state of the land is shewn by the abundance and cheapness of the wading birds. Woodcocks 
