BLACK GROUSE.-PHEASANT. 183 



generally on a bank, under shelter of a tuft of heath or small 

 hush. Its favourite resorts were the most boggy parts of 

 the forest, and it seemed to require a good supply of water. 



Mr. Stewart Hodgson, of Lythe House, Haslemere, writing; 

 in May 1890, informs me that he had not seen any Black 

 Game on Black Down, which is in Sussex, except an old cock, 

 which he killed in the winter of 1870, for several years. He 

 kindly sent me a letter dated May 15th, 1890, from Mr. 

 James Simmons, of Haslemere, in which he states that a 

 brace were put up on Black Down this last season by the 

 hounds, and that they were the last he had seen. Mr. 

 Hodgson informs me also that many years since. Sir Charles 

 Taylor, then of HoUycombe, had a number of Black Grouse 

 from Scotland turned out, but they got away to the highest 

 part of Hind Head, that they lived some years, seeming 

 healthy, but never breeding, and that he also remembers that 

 Mr. James Fielding turned a number out on Black Down in 

 1840 with the same result. They have been of late years 

 much disturbed by the military. Mr. Allen Chandler, of 

 Churt Wynd, Farnham, states that he last saw Black Game 

 on Black Down about ten years ago. 



PHASIANID-ffil. 



PHEASANT. 



Phasianus colchicus. 



There is an ancient tradition that the Pheasant was originally 

 introduced into Greece by the Argonauts, on their return 

 from their expedition in search of the Golden Fleece, whence- 

 it gradually spread over Europe, and there is reason to sup- 

 pose that it was introduced into England by the Romans. 



