THE MONGOL AN PHEASANT. IS,", 



AVitli regard to the true Mongolian, tlie Hon. Walter 

 iJotliscliild, writing iu the Field of June '^O, 11)0:3, sa.ys : — 



■' 1 have, however, had a nuinljer of the ti'ue Mongolian 

 ]iheasant (/-'. hioik/oI i<-iis) alive at 'I'riiig for two or three 

 years, and h.iAe had a, number of young, both pure and 

 half-bred, hatched a.iid reared iu our coverts, and those which 

 were shot proved much superior in flavour and si/jC to 

 ordinary ]iheasants. Cock Ijirds hatched in -June were as 

 full plumaged and weighed as mucli as two-year-old coninioii 

 pheasants." 



Testimony to the value of the .Mongoh'an cross was 

 adiluced l)y a corresp(jndent who, writing in the Firld of 

 January lii, iDtl'.i, says, " On the estate where 1 have recently 

 been shooting, for some years the Chinese pheasant 

 (F toniiudu.^) has been reared, and splendid shots they have 

 given. But for the last three years ?*rongoli;ins hawo bi'eu 

 introduced, and some <d' them have bei'u crossed with the 

 Chinese ; the result is tluit the Ijirds this yeai- ha-vc shown 

 better sport than ever. They rise freely to the lieaters, and 

 \\y lioldly, very fast and high ; in fact, if Hushed on rising 

 ground they fly almost too high to Ijo reached. (Ju one 

 occasion when we weri_' shooting', there was a v^ery liigii wind, 

 anil the birds were flushed ou a hillside over the guns placed 

 m the valley ; no one wdio saw thein fly could jiussibly saythat 

 they "were la/.v <->n the wing and never gave a good spi.irtmg 

 shot; in fact, if anything, they were too active on the wing 

 .•md took such long flights that many of them went striiight 

 aAvay out of that (hiy's beat." The kee|ier on this estate 

 gave it a,s his opinion that the chicks were very hardy and 

 easier to rea.r than those of the common jiheasant. 



It is exceedingly satisfactory to know that the half-ljred 

 /' 'iii(iiiyi)] iciis ha,ve proved successful in the coverts. At 

 Triiii;-, several hiindreds were reared, and came to the gun iu 

 I'.KIo. The nade h^'bruls have very much the appearance of 

 the pure /' vKDn/uliniSj as shown in the coloured engraving 

 (frc.ditispiece), the wing coverts are n(jt so clea,r in the wdiite : 



