STRUCTURE. FOOD. AND HABITS 



shootiuo- in tlie marshes on tlie Tjincolnsliifc side of tlio 

 Humber, ueai' Grimsby, a man wliu works on the sea ciii- 

 baukment caiue to say that two phensants had jiist fl(iwn i_ivrr 

 from the Yorkshire side, alij;-liting within a few feet of where 

 he was workino- ainoDii' the roiio-h sj-rass on tlie liaiik. ( )ii 

 g(.)ing to the spot indiciited, I at onee fcjiind and shot them ; 

 they were '.voth hens, and in very gmtd ei.inditi(_in. The 

 Humber at this pla,ce from shore to sliore is neai'ly fonr miles 

 across. There was a strong n(jrtherly breeze lihiwing at tlie 

 time, so tliat the^' wonld ci'oss before the wind, or with the 

 wind a little aslant. I have oceasionally found pheasants in 

 the marshes, and near the emljankmeni, whieli 1 was sure 

 nuist have conie across, but had no direct evidence of the 

 tact.'' That thej' are not always capable of long-sustained 

 flights, liowever, is proved by Mr. J. CI. Millais, who, in 18!*1, 

 saw hve or six attempt to cros^ Tjoch Xess at Fovers, where 

 it is more than a mile wide. They fell into the water when 

 about three-parts of the way across. 



In 1887 Mr. ]'.. W. S. Griffith orgauised a series of trials 

 for the purpose of ascertaining the wlocity of tliglit of various 

 birds. In these some of tlie ])heasants attained a speed of 

 over thirty, the fastest thirtv-eiglit, miles ]ier Inair. 



The com])arati\'ely small size of tlie wings necessitates 

 their being moved with great lorce and velocity, and conse- 

 cpiently the moving powers or muscles of the breast are verv 

 large and well developed, taking their origin from the deep 

 keel on the breast bone. The tail is long, and tapers to 

 a point; it is composed of eighteen straight pointed feathers. 



Till' pheasant, like most of its congeners, is a terrestrial 

 bird, seeking its food, making its nest, and rearing its young 

 upon the surface of the ground. Its legs, like tliose of all 

 true rasorial or scratcliiiig birds, are strong- and nniscnlar, 

 eouseqnently it is capable of ruDning with great speed. The 

 strong blunt claws are admirably adapted for scratching seeds 

 a.nd tul)erons roots from the ground, or worms and larva' 

 from licneath fallen leaves. 



