88 



December of the same year, in the forests near the mouth of the river Drin, in Albania, where 

 it is comparatively common, and where several fell to our guns. In this latter locality the 

 Pheasant's habitat seems to be confined to a radius of from twenty to thirty miles to the north, 

 east, and south of the town of Alessio — a district for the most part densely wooded, and well 

 watered, with occasional tracts of cultivated ground, Indian corn being apparently the principal 

 produce, and forming, with the berries of the privet (which abounds throughout Albania), the 

 chief food of the present species. We heard many more Pheasants than we saw, as the woods 

 were thick and of great extent, our dogs wild, and we lost a great deal of time in making circuits 

 to cross or avoid the numerous small but deep streams which intersect the country in every 

 direction. This species is particularly abundant on the shores of the Gulf of Salonica, about the 

 mouth of the river Vardar ; and I have been informed, on good authority, that Pheasants are 

 also to be found in the woods of Vhrakori, in iEtolia, about midway between the Gulfs of 

 Lepanto and Arta." 



As above stated, it is tolerably numerous in Southern Germany ; but Dr. Fritsch says that it 

 is not so common as it used to be, for in 1857 the total number shot in Bohemia was 50609, 

 whereas in 1864 it had dwindled to 39296. Messrs. Danford and Harvie-Brown say (Ibis, 1875, 

 p. 418) that it used formerly to be rather common in the preserves of some of the nobles of 

 Transylvania, but during the revolution of 1848 most were destroyed, and they are not certain 

 that it now exists there at all. According to Messrs. Elwes and Buckley (Ibis, 1870, p. 329), the 

 Pheasant " exists in a wild state in many parts of Turkey, especially in Macedonia and the north 

 of Albania. We found Pheasants chiefly in the marshy forests of the plains; but, owing to the 

 extreme density of the brambles, they were very difficult to flush, and, when put up by the dogs, 

 would sometimes fly into a. tree. A good many are found in the coverts round the foot of Mount 

 Olympus and the vale of Tempe ; but they are becoming scarcer. There cannot be many in 

 Roumelia ; for when they were required for the Sultan's aviaries, he sent to Salonica to have 

 them caught." 



In Southern Russia, Mr. Artzibascheff says, the Pheasant is occasionally seen on the Sarpa, 

 but he himself never met with it ; and Professor Von Nordmann states that though it is not 

 found in a wild state in New Russia, it occurs along the eastern side of the Black Sea, and thence 

 eastwards down to the Caucasus. Mr. G. C. Taylor, however, says that he never saw it wild in 

 the Crimea. Asia Minor is the true home of the Pheasant ; and Mr. Pearse informs me that 

 large numbers are sent to the Constantinople market from Asiatic Turkey. It appears, however, 

 to be locally distributed there ; for Mr. Danford does not include it in his list, and Canon 

 Tristram remarks (Ibis, 1868, p. 212) that though he observed it wild near Ephesus, it does not 

 appear to be known in Syria. Menetries says that it is common in the Caucasus, near the Terek 

 and Soulak rivers, and even in the mountains of Bechtan, near the mineral waters of Petigorsk ; 

 and according to Mr. Blanford it abounds in the forests of the Caspian, and ranges through the 

 forest-region of Mazandaran as far east as the upper valley of the Gurgan. Travellers have 

 recorded it from the jungles of the Harirud valley, but do not appear to have seen it. In other 

 portions of Asia the present bird is replaced by many allied species, for particulars respecting 

 which I may refer my readers to Mr. Elliot's magnificent work, ' Monograph of the Phasianidse,' 

 in which are plates of almost all the known species, executed by Wolf. 



The Pheasant, one of our best-known and most highly valued game-birds, is essentially an 



