peesident's addkess. 177 



from the dark copper hues that clothe the other males. The 

 hens of the pallescent variation are numerous. They are fine 

 active birds, pale enough to be known at a glance as they run 

 or rise, yet not so light-coloured as to be easily seen when upon 

 the nest. The diversity from the common plumage seems to 

 come per saltum, or by a spring, and I think mostly from the 

 egg, for the pallescent cocks when first seen, and too often shot, 

 are mainly yearling or two-year individuals, as their spurs suf- 

 ficiently show. But we have had one or two fine old long-spurs 

 recklessly slain. 



I think it highly probable that these blonde pheasants may be 

 the offspring of parents that have felt the cold of our protracted 

 winters, or the chill of cloudy summers : that, being somewhat 

 deficient in animal caloric, the latter produced an offspring which 

 developed a less brilliant plumage, not exhibiting all the wonted 

 deep and rich colouring, for that nature made a great effort to 

 protect such progeny by giving them a colouring that should 

 better economise the animal warmth in cold winters or cloudy 

 summers. 



But if such should be the origin of this most interesting mo- 

 dification, it does not follow that such pheasants may not become 

 by propagation inter se a true local variety, as healthy and vigor- 

 ous as the original type, as rich too in animal caloric, but not so 

 liable to lose it in cold or sunless weather. Their plumage seems 

 to me the analogue in the pheasant of the paler colouring of grouse 

 bred upon moors where the heather is largely interspersed with 

 bent ; and the modification is permanent, not seasonal, being use- 

 ful or beneficial to the bird in summer as well as winter. 



Once more let it be understood, that no pheasants in Europe 

 could be more truly wild than these. Contributions of barley 

 or beans in winter, when beech-mast or acorns were exhausted 

 in the woodlands, were indeed laid down for them. Pheasants 

 would wander away and be killed were they not so helped. But 

 in no other way were they artificially treated. And in point of 

 fact, covies of partridge could not exist in time of snow were it 

 not that they resort to places where sheep are fed with hay, for 

 the hay-seeds, seeds of plantain, and even hay-leaves, which 



