PREFACE. 



DE'IWII.KI) A(A'OUNT nf the natural liislorv, 



lialjits, 1(1(1(1, anil truatiiU'iil of tho vai-hnis spi'cies 



>j|wp^ iif I 'licasants had loiii;' heeii :i i[esi(k'i'atiiin ; this 



j^ IxKik was [ii-(i|('(_-tod with a view to supply lh(_! want 



! ill a ni(ji-(' cdniph/te and euniprchcnsivc turin thai) 



had hithcrt(_)' lioen atteui]:)t('(l. Tho cxtrenioly t'avuur- 



ablo reception which the prcvKnis editions met with, lujt 



j=)iily from tlie reviewers, but also from the t^'euera.l puljlio, 



showed that the demand for such inlorination was not 



over-estimated, whilst tlie o]>ini(.)ns ex])ressed by many of 



our highest authorities have h'd me to beh'eve that the 



endeavour to condiine (iruithohjgacal researcli with practical 



experience in the niauagemont of this group of birds was 



not unattended with success. 



In tho following work [ have givt^ii the natural history 

 and general practical management, not onl\- of tlu.^ pheasant" 

 strictly adapted for tho covert, but also of the aJlied species, 

 which are the best adapted to our aviaries. 



The progress of scientific exploratifm is continually 

 bringing to light species of pheasants hithert(j unknown; 

 some of these are well suited to our coverts, wdiilst others 

 are regarded as (irnaniental birds. Some years since the 

 only |_)lieasant breeding wild in Klngland was the common 

 species {PJm-'^iaiin.s- cdlchlrns) ; our o<.i verts ikjw jiossess the 



