THE PHEASANT OF THE WOODLANDS 27 



All the pheasants' nests that I have seen were placed 

 upon the ground, but I never happened to discover a 

 pheasant's nest in a reed bed, though both in Norfolk 

 and in Germany pheasants often nest like ducks in the 

 centre of tussocks of sedge ; that, at least, has been 

 my own experience. On some few occasions I have 

 waded out to pheasants' nests which were completely 

 surrounded by water, so that one felt puzzled to know 

 how the poor chicks were ever to scramble on to dry 

 land. But most of the nests that have so far occurred 

 to me were slight scratchings in the ground, lined 

 with a few stems of grass, and screened from obser- 

 vation by long sprays of brambles or tall wavy grass. 

 The curious thing is that some eccentric hen 

 pheasants prefer to secure their personal safety by 

 nesting in trees, as well as on stacks and walls over- 

 grown with ivy. My impression is that the pheasant 

 resorts to such an unusual nesting place only for 

 safety. Probably she has been scared at some time 

 or another by a fox or a half-wild cat, and has de- 

 veloped a nervous distrust of a less exalted situation 

 for sitting in. Nesting pheasants are exposed to 

 many dangers ; nor would they be likely to remain un- 

 scathed, were it not for the twofold protection which 

 Nature has provided for them. I may be tedious in 

 alluding to such a commonplace, but to me the sight 



