19,s 



PHEASANTS FOB COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



not be. Here these birds (as is the case wlien turned down 

 on any (ir(bnary En'^ii^li ]3i-eserve) iiave fornieil most un- 

 desirable liabits. It is with great (btiiculty they can be got 

 to rise at all, aud wlien thi-; is effected they keep h^iw, and 

 affoi'd no sport whatever. Now, at Guisaclian all this is 

 obviated by the roug'h nature' (if the ground. 'bhei'C is heavy 

 bracken, falleu trees, mountain burns, and, aliovt' all, rough 

 heather. These cause the birds to get u|i almost at once. 

 The trees being liigh and dense assist their elevation, and 

 foi'ce tbeni to a i-espectaJjle lieight froiu the ver\' start. 



"in conclusiou I should like to make one observation on 

 the llight of lieeves's plieasant which F Inive never seen touclied 

 on before, a,nd which is Ijoth interesting and I'emarkable. 

 Eeeves's pheasant has the power to stop sud(h'nly wdien 

 travelling at its full speed, whi(di may lie estimated at nearly 

 doul)le that of an ordinary plieasant ; and this is performed 

 by an extraordinary m.jNement when the bird makes up its 

 nnud to abght on some high tree that has taken its fancy, 

 n'liis bird nia}' lie said to l)c furnished with a ' AVestinghouse 

 brake' in the shape of its tail, otherwise the feat would be 

 inip(.>ssiljle. By a sudileu and comjilete turn of the body, 

 Ijotli the expanded wings and tail are presentc'd as a resistance 

 to tlie air a,nd the position of the Ihrd is reversed. This acts 

 as an imnu.'diate Ijuffer and brake, and liy this means the bird 

 is cnaliled to droj) head downwards into the tree within the 

 sliort s[)aci' of eight or ten yanls. This is su(di a, vci'v reiuark- 

 alde niovemeut, and one which of necessity reipiii-es soiue 

 illustrative explanation, that 1 scud you herewith a, .sketch of 

 it, which may bo of interest." 



Lord Jiavensworth, writing (.if the birds iu ]{,oss-shire, 

 makes the following n.'Uiarks on the Imbits of this species: 



"The Har-tail is a true pheasant, well able to take care of 

 liini'^elf in auy climate, at^ a.ny altitude, and is more easily 

 reared than the eonimon species. Ho is very shy and wild, 

 difficult to a,pproa,(di, and takes to his legs long before other 

 pheasants are conscious of any dauger. His liiglit is pro- 



