18 NATUEAL HISTOET OF THE PHEASANTS. 



History of England" to the efPect that in the year 1299 (the twenty-seventh of 

 Edward I.) the price of a pheasant was fourpence, a couple of woodcocks three- 

 halfpence, a mallard three-halfpence, and a plover one penny. 



" To these notices," writes my friendly critic in the Saturday Beview^ 

 "might have heen added another which seems to set the pheasant at a higher 

 premium, but which has escaped Mr. Tegetmeier — to wit, that in 1170 Thomas 

 a Becket, on the day of his martyrdom, dined on a pheasant, and enjoyed it, as 

 it would seem from the remark of one of his monks, that ' he dined more heartily 

 and cheerfully that day than usual.' " 



A most interesting series of extracts respecting the mediaeval history of 

 this bird is to be found in Mr. Harting's " Ornithology of Shakespeare," from 

 which we quote the following : 



"Leland, in his account of the feast given at the inthronisation of George 

 Nevell, Archbishop of York, in the reign of Edward IV., tells us that, amongst 

 other good things, two hundred ' f esauntes ' were provided for the ■ guests. 



" In the ' Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York,' under date ' the 

 xiiij*'' day of Novembre,' the following entry occurs : 



« ' 



Itfii. The same day to Hichard Mylner of Byndfeld for bringing 

 a present of f esauntes cokkes to the Queen to Westminster ... vs.' 



" In the ' Household Book ' of Henry Percy, j&fth Earl of Northumberland, 

 which was commenced in 1512, the pheasant is thus referred to : 



" ' Item, Fesatjktes to be hade for my Lordes own Mees at Principall Eeestes 

 and to be at xijd. a pece.' 



" ' Iterh, Eessatjntis for my Lordes owne Meas to be hadde at Principalle 

 Eeistis ande to be at xijd. a pece.'* 



* " As a copy of the ' Northumberland Household Book ' is not readily accessible, we give the following 

 interesting extract, showing the price, at that date, of various birds for the table : 



Capons at iid. a peceleyn (lean). Teylles id. a pece. Sholardes vid. a pece. 



Chickeyns at f d. a pece. Wypes {i.e. Lapwings) id. a pece. Kyrlewes xiid. a pece. 



Hennys at iid. a pece. SeeguUes id. or i^d. at the moste. Pacokes xiid. a pece. 



Swannys (no price stated). Styntes after vi. a id. See-Pyes (no price). 



G-eysse iiid. or iiiid. at the moste. QuayUes iid. a pece at moste. Wegions at i^d. the pece. 



Pluvers id. or i^d. at moste. Snypes after iii. a id. Knottes id. a pece. 



Cranys xvid. a pece. Perttryges at iid. a pece. Dottrells id. a pece. 



Hearonsewys (i.e. Heronshaws Eedeshankes i|-d. ' Bustardes (no price). 



or Herons) xiid. a pece. Bytters {i.e. Bitterns) xiid. Temes after iiii. a id. 



Mallardes iid. a pece. Fesauntes xiid. Great byrdes after iiii. a id. 



Woodcokes id. or i|d. at the Eeys (i.e. Euffs and Eeeves) iid. Small byrdes after xii. for iid. 



nioste. a pece. Larkys after xii. for iid." 



This extract is especially interestiag as throwing light incidentally on the condition of the country ; 

 the unreclaimed state of the land is shewn by the abundance and cheapness of the wading birds. Woodcocks 



