24 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PHEASANT 



gentleman writes that the pheasant ' is addicted to 

 polygamy. This is proved by the fact that even in 

 spring it happens that one may drive out one cock 

 and several hens from the same spot. The natives 

 also, who naturally have many opportunities of ob- 

 serving the life of the pheasant, maintain that this is 

 the case. Persons wishing to preserve pheasants ex- 

 pressly shoot the cocks in the spring, saying that they 

 destroy the nests and eat the eggs.' Another of my 

 Russian correspondents writes that the male pheasant 

 ' manages his family affairs in exactly the same manner 

 as does the ordinary barndoor rooster. He has 

 several wives or concubines, and is in constant hot 

 water with other male birds that may be knocking 

 about in search of a partner, as he regards with a 

 very jealous eye any attempts at interference in 

 his domestic arrangements. Upon the eggs being 

 hatched the male bird attaches himself to the first 

 hen with a family that he meets, and escorts her 

 about. Sometimes several hens with their famihes 

 put themselves under the protection of one cock, and 

 sometimes several cocks act as cavaliers to one hen 

 and family.' The hen pheasant generally begins to 

 lay her eggs in the month of April. A wide latitude 

 must be given to this event. In the North of England 

 the keepers gather many pheasant eggs in the month 



