FLIGHT OF THE PHEASANT. Q 



in windows. A correspondent states : " A. few days ago, a 

 cock pheasant rose about tlireo hundred yards from my house 

 and flew against the centre of a plate glass window, smashing 

 it into a thousand fragments. The glass was 3ft. Sin. by 

 3ft. 4in., and -^-in. thick ; and such was the force of the 

 concussion that not a single piece remained six inches square. 

 A slight snow on the ground rendered the window more than 

 usually a mirror reflecting the outer landscape. It is needless 

 to say the bird was killed instantaneously. Two hen pheasants 

 had on previous occasions been killed in the same way, but 

 the glass was not damaged.'" Mr. G. A. Hackett, of Pailton 

 House, Eugby, also wrote as follows : "I was much astonished 

 to-day, at about two o'clock, by hearing a loud crash of glass 

 in my 'smoking-room, and on going there I found a cock 

 pheasant dead on the floor close to the window, and the plate 

 of glass, which is 4ft. by 3ft. 6in., and |^in. thick, in thousands 

 of fragments. I am certain no blow from a man could have 

 in like manner demolished the glass. The pheasant was a 

 ring-necked, last year's bird, and weighed nearly 31b." These 

 instances occured in the day-time. Sometimes the birds are 

 attracted by a light, as in the following cases : " On a very 

 rough night in January, a hen pheasant flew through the 

 hall window at Merthyr Manor, Bridgend, attracted by a 

 light inside." And the following incident is related as 

 occurring in a village not far from Bangor, on the banks of a 

 river on the opposite side of which is a plantation well stocked 

 with pheasants : " One stormy night there sat in a room of a 

 small public, which had a window facing the plantation, six 

 or seven men enjoying their pipes and beer, when all of a 

 sudden crash went the window, out went the candle, and out 

 rushed the men in great consternation. On examining the 

 room a splendid cock pheasant was found under the table." 



The wings, considered with reference to the size and 

 weight of the bird, are short and small; from the secondary 

 quills being nearly as long as the primary, they are very 

 rounded in form, the third and fourth primary feathers being 



