FREAKS AND ODDITIES 55 



first, because it was feared that otherwise the pheasant 

 might attack the hens and do them an injury. But 

 after he had become accustomed to them, the hen 

 upon which he seemed to have bestowed most favour 

 was admitted to his presence, and the food increased. 

 It was found that the pheasant often tried to kill the 

 first hen introduced to him, in which case the poultry- 

 man would wring the neck of the rejected partner, but 

 continued to introduce other hens, until the pheasant 

 eventually paired with them. The young hybrids 

 resulting from this cross were reared on meal and 

 wild berries, and eventually sold as pheasants for the 

 market. 



The pheasant is apt to stray away from its usual 

 haunts in the spring of the year, when single males 

 often take up their abode in some small cover in the 

 vicinity of a keeper's house. Under such circum- 

 stances a cock pheasant often exhibits his pugnacity 

 in attempting to drive away the domestic cocks ; 

 should the former bird succeed in this enterprise, he 

 proceeds to pair with the hens, which are not disin- 

 clined to receive the overtures of the stranger. Such 

 an alliance results in the production of hybrid young, 

 which generally resemble their female parent in most 

 particulars. These cross-bred birds, therefore, differ 

 much inter se, according to their origin. 



