58 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



haunts of each pair, and keeping a very sharp look-out, I was able almost always 

 to see either one or both birds dive suddenly into a tuft of grass, or very rarely to flush 

 from almost under my feet. When the first happened I would walk straight on as if I 

 had not seen the birds, and then, when out of sight, circle around and wriggle my way 

 behind boulders and scrubby trees to some overlooking shelf or mass of vegetation. 

 I found that my umbrella observation tent was most useful with these birds, and after 

 the tent had been in position for only twenty-four hours, I could enter it and count 

 on the birds recovering their confidence within ten or fifteen minutes. But, as I 

 have said, such a splendid chance of observing sedentary pheasants in comparatively 

 open, unobstructed country was robbed of much of its pleasure by the very bourgeois 

 behaviour of the birds. During the time of my stay I saw no other but the three pairs 

 of Cheer near this place, although impeyan, koklass and kaleege were not far away. 

 The covey of eight or ten which I have described is the only flock I observed. 

 Other observers give us four to twelve, or six to twenty individuals as being the 

 number sometimes found together at other times than the breeding season. 



It was most interesting and significant to see to what an extent both cocks 



and hens trusted to concealment by squatting rather than running or flying, and I 



consider it an expressive commentary on the protective value of the plumage coloration 



of both sexes of this species as compared with that of others such as the impeyan. 



It is well enough to sit in our study or to take the skin or mounted specimens of these 



various birds to the woods and fields and prove to our entire satisfaction that the 



colours of all can be made to harmonize with some one or other situation. But 



it is proof past convincing when we see an impeyan get up and betake his armour 



of rainbow metallic tints off, as far away as the bird can detect us ; and again when we 



almost put our foot upon a cock Cheer as it squats closely amid the stubby grass 



which so nearly approximates its own yellow buffs and browns — it is proof of the 



relative protective values which is as good circumstantial evidence as Thoreau's trout 



in the milk-pail. If we cannot trust the relative instinctive reactions at the approach 



of danger which not one, but myriads of lifetimes have stamped upon the behaviour 



of absolutely wild birds, many of which have never seen man before, we assuredly 



cannot accept the evidence of artificial manipulation of dead actors and ill-adapted 



scenery in a land on the opposite side of the globe from where the age-long evolution 



of the pheasant itself took place. 



Like many dull, protectively hued birds, these pheasants are most conspicuous 

 when in full flight, apart from their abrupt removal from the assimilating hues 

 of the grasses. The golden and green sheen of the back and rump at the time 

 of their headlong rush sometimes catches the glint of the sun, but the tail flares 

 out into a streaming cross-barred train, and when the bird veers suddenly to clear 

 a low tree or projecting boulder, this fan spreads widely and becomes for a fraction 

 of time a most conspicuous spot of pattern and colour. 



The flight of the Cheer, while for sheer speed excelled by probably few other 

 birds, yet is heavy and far from actually strong. The bird has marvellous ability to 

 turn and stop itself, but to see it beating uphill or even on a level is to realize 

 that gravity is the prime factor in its wonderful bursts of speed, and that trusting 

 to muscular effort alone, it would be able to cover only very short distances. Unless 



