NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 399 



Of late years we have heard something of the migratory 

 movements of Grouse and Partridges (Zool. 1886, p. 107; 1893, 

 p. 433; 1894, p. 18; and 1895, pp. 91, 69, 108). Mr. Mac- 

 pherson tells us that in some districts the Pheasant also moves 

 from a summer to a winter home. In the district of Zakatal 

 [Zakhatali, Southern Russia] , in the summer, Pheasants often 

 migrate to higher ground at the foot of the mountains ; but after 

 the crops are gathered in, and on the approach of the first cold 

 weather of the autumn, they again return to the low-lying 

 valleys of the river Alazani, where they pass the winter in the 

 reeds, long weeds, and bushes. 



As to the food of wild Pheasants in this country, Mr. Mac- 

 pherson says it consists chiefly of the tender shoots of plants, 

 grass, bulbous roots, worms, and insects. The crop of one bird 

 which he examined was full of the roots of the common buttercup. 

 In addition they pick off the oak spangles, and eat such hard 

 food as hazel nuts, of which no less than twenty-eight were taken 

 from the crop of one bird, and ninety-three acorns from another. 

 When hard pinched they feed on the polypody fern. Nothing is 

 said about their occasionally feeding on yew, and of the mortality 

 which consequently ensues ; nor do we find any remarks upon 

 lead -poisoning, resulting from their sometimes picking up shot- 

 pellets in mistake for grain ; the poisoning of Pheasants from 

 both these causes has been reported from time to time in the 

 columns of * The Field.' 



From the sportsman's point of view, of course the most 

 interesting portion of this volume will be that in which Mr. 

 Stuart Wortley discourses on the breeding and rearing of 

 Pheasants, the management of coverts, and the best way of 

 effecting a good show of birds when the time arrives for shooting 

 them. His advice, founded on experience, carries conviction 

 with it, and is not only well expressed, but thoroughly practical. 

 This is what young sportsmen stand most in need of — good sound 

 advice from one who is competent to give it. Indeed, we may go 

 a step further, and say that not a few middle-aged sportsmen 

 will gladly admit, on perusing this volume, that they have 

 gleaned from it some very useful hints. 



The closing chapter, by Mr. Shand, which deals with the 

 cookery of the Pheasant, is sensibly and brightly written, and 

 anecdotical withal. The monotonous commonplace of a recipe- 



