T! FEVER'S PHEASANT. ^_>*)l 



duces six to seven eggs. I'ut natural or wild hi'eeiling is 

 rare liere, owing to the foxes. 



"The Gold pheasant seems to prefer the ridges of (/ar- 

 boniferous liuiestorie. 



" The Reeves pheasant strays sporadically. l>y rearing 

 forty to lit'ty annually I can keep up the iiuinlier. 



"The Gold pheasant is .■il)undant liere. Traci'S ef an 

 Auiliersc eock (long since dead) are to Ije seen in the white 

 tijipet and red tinge of the I'rest feathers; this latter sign 

 gradually wears out. The ' tip])et ' seems to he more 

 pei'maiient. 



" Silver and Reeves pheasants have bred together. The 

 result is u. certain aniount nt lirewu colour on the Icick and in 

 the tail feathers. L have litth' exi)ei'ience of this cress." 



( )n the Klvedon estate a hylirid Reeves is saiil to have 

 jireved I'ertde, and Sir Digby I'igi.itt mi irujiury has received 

 the following letter from the head gamokeepio', \V lldl ; — 



" 1 had .idine four or live Reeves h3'brids (hens) penned 

 with the cunnuod pheasant, /' <:ulrli iciis, about three seasons 

 ago, and thev WL're fertile and several yoiujg wei'e reared. 



" I ha\'e also kiio\vn of several second, and i ma\' say third 

 Ci'osses, but the curious fact is that wliei'eas thi' first, cross is 

 a magnilieent bird of great weight and bea.utv, tic second 

 cross is much smtiller, and the third sintiller still — not so large 

 as a, inediuni common jiheasaiit hen." 



liOnl I'edesdale informs Sir I). I'igott that he litis tdways 

 found till' hyjjrid Itcev^'S infertile, so thai, the fertility of this 

 cross must still be regarded as \'ery iiucertaiii. 



