22 NATUEAL HISTORY OP THE PHEASANTS. 



In Scotland it is very generally distributed in the western counties, from 



Wigtown in the south to Sutherland in the north. Mr. R. Gray, in his "Birds 



of the West of Scotland," writes: "In the neighbourhood of Loch Lomond, it 



may occasionally be noticed on the mountain sides, at a considerable elevation, 



sometimes as far up as twelve hundred feet. In Shemore glen, I have seen male 



birds rise from the heath among the rocks, and wheeling round direct their flight 



down the valley with extraordinary speed. Very different indeed is the flight of 



these strong-winged natives of the glen from that of over-fed birds in wooded 



preserves; and as one bird after another shoots past in high air, one can hardly 



resist the impression that, if left to its own selection, the pheasant would adapt 



itself wonderfully to the drawbacks of its adopted country. Mr. Elwes informs 



me that he has frequently seen pheasants in Islay get up in the most unlikely 



places, such as an open moor, miles away from any covert or corn-field, and 



sometimes in a wet bog, where one would be more likely to find a snipe. On 



that island, where it was introduced about thirty years ago by Mr. Campbell, 



the pheasant is now not uncommon, and appears to be on the increase. In the 



Outer Hebrides it has likewise been introduced into Lewis by Sir James Matheson, 



who has obligingly informed me that, since its introduction twelve or fifteen years 



ago, it has become fairly established, although it has not increased to the extent 



that might have' been expected in a more favourable locality. ' The deep drains 



in the peat moss,' writes Sir James, ' are supposed to be the cause of the death 



of the young chicks by their falling into them. For some years at first there 



was a want of covert for -pheasants, but they are now better off in this respect, and 



are increasing gradually. Some of the first brood wandered about sixteen miles ta 



the west side of the island, it is supposed in quest of covert.' " 



The introduction of the pheasant into the northern districts of Scotland is, 

 however, of comparatively recent date, for in the sixth edition of Moubray's 

 " Domestic Poultry," 1830, it is stated : " In 1826, a solitary cock pheasant made 

 his appearance as far north as a valley of the Grampians, being the first that had 

 been seen in that northern region;" and my old friend, Andrew Halliday, told 

 me that he remembered perfectly the introduction of the birds into the coverts 

 near Banff belonging to the Earl of Fife, in which locality, Thomas Edwards, the 

 Scottish naturalist, whose life has been so graphically written by Mr. Smiles, tells us 

 it now seems to thrive very well, and is a beautiful ornament to parks and woods. 



In Ireland it is also abundant, the common species being, according to Mr. 

 W. Thompson, the well-known natural historian of the island, frequent in the various 

 wooded parts, at least where it has been protected and preserved. "In the counties 

 of Antrim and Down," remarks this writer, " the ring-necked variety — considered to 

 have originally proceeded from a cross between the common and true ring-necked 

 pheasant (P. torquatus) — ^is not uncommon." 



