14 Natural History. 



common species, the wing of the side "nearest the female is 

 partly opened and depressed, precisely in the same manner 

 as performed by the male of the common fowl, and, in addition, 

 the tail is expanded, and the upper surface turned towards 

 the same side, whilst the bright vermilion skin around the 

 eye is greatly extended, and the little purple aigrettes erected. 

 Singular modifications of this sexual display of the plumage 

 occur in the Argus and Golden Pheasant and other species, 

 which will be noticed in the chapters relating to those birds. 



In a state of nature there is little doubt that the pheasant 

 is polygamous. The males are armed with spurs, with which 

 they fight, the stronger driving away the weaker, and the most 

 vigorous propagate their kind. 



The nest of the female is usually a simple hollow scraped 

 in the ground. After depositing her eggs (usually about 

 eight or nine in number) she is deserted by the male, and the 

 task of incubation and rearing the young depends on her 

 alone. The eggs vary in colour from a greenish brown to a 

 greyish green ; in size thej' are, on the average, an inch and 

 five-sixths in length, by an inch and five-twelfths in width. 

 The period of incubation is twenty-four days. 



Hen pheasants, hke common fowls, not infrequently have 

 nests in common, in which case as many as eighteen or 

 twenty eggs will be found together. Sometimes three hens 

 will take to the same nest, and as many as thirty eggs have 

 been seen resulting from their co-partnership. It is still 

 more singular that the pheasant and the partridge often share 

 the same nest (see Zoologist, iyS6, p. '295, in which volume 

 also will be found mention of a pheasant and wild duck sharing 

 the same nest). Mr. Walter Yate, of Pemberton, Shropshire, 

 stated : " About a week ago one of my workmen informed me 

 that he had found a nest containing both partridge's and 

 pheasant's eggs. I accompanied him to the place, and there 

 saw the pheasant and partridge seated side by side with the 

 utmost amity. I then had the birds driven off, and saw 

 fifteen partridge's and sixteen pheasant's eggs laid indiscrimin- 



