THE WILD PHEASANT 201 



This was continued for several years, and no 

 pheasants have been turned out for a long time, 

 and though I cannot, of course, state definitely 

 that our remarkable show of wild pheasants is 

 the direct result of this experiment, still, unless 

 a better explanation can be suggested, I think 

 myself justified in believing that the object with 

 which the idea was associated has been, so far as 



I can see, attained. 



For we have actual experience of the hen pheas- 

 ant sitting through 60 hours of rain, and hatching 



II chicks out of 12 eggs, while two partridges in 

 the same covert close by (presumably being the 

 smaller birds and so unable to withstand the 

 weight of rain) gave up and left their nests, after 

 40 hours of the same storm. 



Our pheasants are all over the fields in 

 September, and seem to care nothing about the 

 coverts, which seems to be witness of the influence 

 of the teaching of the partridge coming out in 

 the foster children. 



I ought to mention that we shoot cocks and 

 hens the first time over, without limit, and spare 

 all hens afterwards. 



In regard to a further query as to the 

 question of pheasant eggs hatching before 

 those of the partridge when under a 

 common mother. Lord Verulam added the 

 following note : — 



