212 The Prince of Wales's Pheasant. 



pheasants leave it for the more open and dry country, where 

 they pick up their food. I believe the same species is found 

 on the Hari-rud river, but I have seen no specimens from that 

 locality." 



It is not without interest to note that the Prince of Wales's 

 pheasant has not infrequently made its appearance in con- 

 siderable numbers in the London markets, having been 

 imported through Eussia in a frozen state, and it is said that 

 the late Mr. Seebohm, after having given £10 for one of the 

 original skins received from Afghanistan, supplemented it 

 the following year by a couple bought for a few shillings in 

 Leadenhall Market. 



The general introduction of this pheasant into our coverts 

 would be advantageous, not only on account of its size and 

 plumage, but still more so from the fact that, having been 

 reared on swampy ground, there are many localities in which 

 it would be a desirable addition to our coverts. The history 

 of its introduction into this country as a wild bird is given in 

 the following communication by Colonel M. Sunderland : 



" In 1901 I read in Tegetmeier's work on pheasants that 

 the Prince of Wales's pheasant would be a welcome addition 

 to the British coverts, and I therefore determined to introduce 

 this beautiful bird into Europe. I first tried the importation 

 of eggs, but they proved a dismal and costly failure. In the 

 autumn of 1902 I went to the East, and succeeded in securing 

 several birds. No one could positively inform me whether 

 this species of pheasant was polygamous or not, so I brought 

 to England an equal number of cocks and hens. A useless 

 precaution, for the cocks fought for the hens in the usual 

 manner. The birds stood the long journej' very well, and were 

 turned down into large enclosures in Hampshire at the end of 

 February, 1903. They did not begin to lay till the end of April, 

 but laid very freely, those in one pen averaging over thirty 

 eggs a hen. Virtually all the eggs proved fertile. They hatched 

 extremely well, and the strong chicks proved fully as easy to 

 rear as those from the ordinary pheasant. They were fed on 



