qS a monograph of the pheasants 



" I may mention that the altitude of this region was higher than that of most 

 pheasant-grounds which I have encountered before in Central Asia. It was from 3,000 

 to 3,500 feet above sea level, but perhaps the sheltered nature of the country compen- 

 sated for this. Mr. Miller, however, found the pheasant extending up "to as far as 

 4,100 feet above sea level in the narrow valleys of the Kok-su, tributary of the Tekes. 

 For four months in the year snow lies deep here; but since the great winter food 

 supply is above ground, in the shape of berries, this does not much matter. 



"The next day I started out as soon as the sun was well up, together with my man 

 and dog. We hunted through the tree zone and then on to the river-banks, where the 

 country was more open, and where islands on the many-channelled river, which were 

 covered with long grass and thorn scrub, made easy ground to hunt. Most of these 

 islands were now rendered accessible by the water channels being frozen over, and here 

 we had the best sport. Coming through the tree belt we had killed two or three brace ; 

 but these were mostly scattered birds, and it was not until we reached the more open 

 feeding-grounds that we found the bulk of the birds, feeding in the morning on the 

 yellow berries of Crategus saiiguiitea. The fact that they were here in the islands and 

 away from their real home and refuge, the thickets and jungle on the banks of the river, 

 gave occasion for the most scientific sport. With my Turki servant and Siberian dog 

 as beaters, I had impromptu drives, which were greatly aided by the fact that the 

 birds always flew — when put up off these insular feeding-grounds — in a bee-line for 

 the nearest jungle on the bank of the river. I placed myself on the frozen ground in 

 between, and at the end of these drives, when two or three, or sometimes even six and 

 seven, gorgeously coloured birds lay on the snow, I felt that this indeed was the real 

 thing, without artificial methods, as nature meant it to be, and, above all, without the 

 thought that each bird had cost a guinea to rear. But it has its drawbacks. Beaters 

 are almost impossible to get hold of, and there is no game-cart following behind to pick 

 up the spoil. After a dozen birds have been shot, the question arises— how to carry 

 them ? Where driving was impossible I had to resort to merely walking them up, but 

 found that the quickness with which these wild birds sprang and their speed when on 

 the wing made the sport quite worthy. Indeed, this trait in their character struck 

 me so much that I carefully weighed and measured a series of cock and hen birds in 

 order to compare them with the average English pheasant. All these birds were in fine 

 condition, and were killed in December. The following table gives the results of forty 

 specimens weighed and measured : — 







Maximum. 



Minimum. 



Average. 



Weight . . 



• ^ . 



4 lb. 



2 lb. . 



. 3 lb. 7 oz, 



•>■) 



• ? 



. 3 lb. . 



2lb. . 



. 2 lb. 10 oz. 



Total length . 



. c? • 



40 in. 



29iin. . 



. 36-25 in. 



M » 



. 9 . 



28 in. 



26| in. . 



. 26*92 in. 



'' When comparing them with English birds it will be noticed that, although about 

 the same in size, the wild Mongolian birds do not run so heavy in weight. In all cases 

 the 'crosses' run heavier. I agree with Mr. J. G. Millais's representation of the 

 Mongolian pheasant as a fast and high-flying bird. These birds naturally get on the 

 wing very much quicker than the heavy English-bred pheasant, and what is more, they 

 fly high and strong, even when not compelled to do so by tree belts. And I claim that 



