23 



CHAPTER II 



THE PHEASANT OF THE WOODLANDS 



The charm of the woods is strong upon us in the 

 spring of the year, when we wander through the 

 plantations of young firs, reacly to note the cry of 

 every bird that stirs overhead) anxiously straining 

 our eyes in the endeavour to detept some dainty nest 

 among the dead leaves which we ruthlessly crush 

 under foot. The pheasant is an early breeding bird 

 at home and abroad alike. The wild pheasants of 

 the Caucasus begin to pair in March ; at that 

 period the cocks engage in combats which frequently 

 end fatally for the weaker bird, ancj then the victor 

 remains at the head of five or more hens, which after 

 a time are found to avoid the cock in order to 

 prepare their nests. I mention this for the express 

 purpose of demonstrating that the polygamy of our 

 English birds is not the result of artificial conditions. 

 All the evidence which is supplied to me by Mr. 

 Stuart points to the same conclusion. One Russian 



