26 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PHEASANT 



upon twelve eggs.' What is stranger still, eggs some- 

 times fully mature in the oviducts of hen pheasants 

 during the winter months. A perfectly formed egg 

 was taken from the body of a pheasant shot in North- 

 umberland on December 13, and similar exceptions 

 to rule might be cited. ^ 



The choice of a nesting site varies with the 

 individual bird. Mr. Djanaschvili writes that the 

 hen pheasant of the Caucasus ' builds her nest and 

 hatches her young generally in thick reeds or other 

 dense undergrowth. The nest of this bird is in- 

 variably made on the ground ; the hen chooses the 

 driest place she can find. Having fixed on a suitable 

 spot for the nest, and having lined it with soft straw 

 or reeds, she lays in it from ten to fifteen whitish 

 eggs, speckled with greenish yellow spots. The 

 laying of the eggs begins at the end of April, and 

 is continued until the middle of the latter month. 

 After this, the brooding pheasant hardly leaves her 

 eggs until they are hatched. It has been observed 

 that, not a single egg is spoilt unless some untoward 

 event happens, such, for instance, as an excessive 

 rain or the frequent frightening of the hen from the 

 nest.' 



The foregoing passage is suggestive of criticism. 



' Field, Sept. 12, 1893. ' Il'i'i- I^ec. 25, 1880. 



