86 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PHEASANT 



never seen again in the Squire's coverts. It was in the 

 spring of the year that they came to their mournful 

 end, a fact which reminds me of another piece of what 

 the schoolmen would have called 'original' wickedness. 

 Male pheasants, as most people will admit, are 

 extremely pugnacious in spring time, and readily attack 

 any male rival that may happen to venture upon their 

 territory. When the pastime of fighting cocks was ac- 

 cepted as a fashionable amusement, country folk used 

 to divert themselves by pitting a properly accoutred 

 gamecock against the pheasant of the woodlands. 

 The game fowl, armed with spurs, was turned loose 

 in the vicinity of a cock pheasant, which he of course 

 proceeded to challenge to mortal combat. The luck- 

 less pheasant ran to the fray, into which he rushed 

 with fury, only to be cut down by the cruel weapons 

 provided for his assailant in this unequal combat. 



