A Bird of the Mountains. 201 



Avc have heard from a friend, who has been in the native haunts 

 •of this fine bird in the mountains of Northern China, we are 

 inchned to think that it is more hkely to prosper in Scotland 

 and in Wales than in our own Midlands. The hybrids between 

 this and the common pheasant are beautiful birds, but not, 

 so far as we have been able to ascertain, prohfic." 



The late Mr. Home, of Hereford, who reared numbers of 

 Ueeves's pheasants, forwarded to me a letter from a lady 

 who has been most successful Avith them in the extreme north 

 •of England. Regarding this species she writes : 



" The cock and two hens I purchased have done wonders, 

 and my estate is now fairly stocked with birds, I having put all 

 the season's eggs in nests of the common pheasant, except 

 a few which I reared myself and a few which I sold. My hens 

 last season averaged nearly fifty eggs each — not bad laying." 



Not only in the extreme north, but in the more cultivated 

 parts of England, Reeves's pheasants have done well. One 

 gentleman informed me that during the year 1895 he raised 

 more than twenty in the open, which afterwards attained full 

 plumage, and found them easy to rear. In January, 1909, a 

 Eeeves's cock pheasant, measuring 5ft. Oin., is reported to have 

 been shot at Rolvenden, Kent. 



There can be no doubt whatever that, as suggested by 

 Lord Lilford, the bird being from North China, is hardy and 

 well adapted to mountainous districts, such as those of Scotland 

 and Wales. It appears that the easiest way of introducing 

 it as a wild bird in those places to which it is adapted would 

 be to place the eggs in the nests of pheasants breeding in the 

 open. Reared in those circumstances, the yoving would be 

 hardy and vigorous in the extreme, and would be much more 

 likely to do well than if hand-reared and turned out afterwards. 

 The hybrids between the Reeves's and the common species 

 are generally supposed to be sterile, which may be regarded as 

 a point in their favour rather 'than otherwise, as no mongrel 

 crosses would be introduced, and Reeves's pheasant could be 

 confined to those regions to which, by its size and habits, it is 



