THE GAME BREEDER 175 



CHINESE PHEASANTS. 



By Professor W. H. Olin, 



Industrial Commissioner D. L. & N. W. Ry. and Ex-Professor Agronomy, Colo- 

 rado Agricultural College. 



The pheasant, especially the Chinese and doubtless many more will be found 



ring-neck and English varieties, are the to share in its menu, 



most valuable insectivorous birds, as well In addition to this it is especially fond 



as the most attractive and eagerly sought of small rodents, such as field mice, young 



game bird of all the species that can be gophers and small snakes. In England 



reared in captivity or in a semi-domestic a number of pheasants have been found 



way and be kept in the district in which choked to death in the attempt to swallow 



it is propagated. worms. larger or longer than they could 



The great majority in numbers and manage; also several pheasants have 



kinds of the insectivorous birds are mi- been found dead, choked on small 



gratory — are only with us a short time — rodents. 



while the pheasant, especially the kinds The keeper of most any large pheasan- 

 above mentioned, become attached to try has seen his pheasants catch mice 

 the locality and will breed and remain that were stealing the grain from the 

 there as long as they are protected and birds. This is verified by Mr. Fred Bar- 

 can secure food. nett, superintendent of the pheasantries 



Thousands of these gorgeously plumed at City Park, Denver, Colo. Mr. Barnett 



pheasants with a wealth of feathered says that a pheasant hen will catch and 



adornment, some of which shine in the destroy a mouse as quickly as a cock 



sunlight as burnished gold and bronze ol pheasant or cat, as he has frequently 



many shadings, with grace of form and watched them in the act. They usually 



carriage, (the private property of W. F. pick the head off first, then tear and eat 



Kendrick, in charge of his game keeper), the body or swallow the small ones 



are kept on exhibit at City Park, Denver, whole. 



for the education and entertainment of Among the insects destroyed by the 



the visitors. Thousands of tourists as pheasant are included smelling bugs, 



well as local people visit this exhibit and that most birds will not touch — this 



carry away many pleasant memories, makes these birds more valuable to the 



giving City Park an international reputa- farmer than any other, 



tion, yet few realize their economic Prominent among the pests ravenously 



value other than their beauty, which al- destroyed are the Colorado potato beetle, 



ways appeals to l^he finer sentiment and the squash bug, the cucumber beetle, the 



love of nature's inimitable handiwork, bean leaf beetle, tomato worms, cut 



Within another year the popularity of worms and the millers which deposit 



the pheasant because of its usefulness, the eggs for the wire worms. The pheas- 



which even exceeds its great beauty, will ant also digs for and eats the wire 



become extensively recognized through- worms, as it does all ground worms and 



out America. bugs, and practically all kinds of ground 



The pheasant is naturally an insectiv- beetles. Most birds avoid the potato 



orous bird, and where such food is ob- and other bad smelling bugs on account 



tainable he will eat comparatively little of their obnoxious odors, but the pheas- 



else. ant hunts and eats them. 



The variety of the insect food of the The Southern people are importing the 



pheasant is larger than any other bird, so pheasant to eat the cotton boll weevil 



far as known. Investigation showed that and its larvae, stating that one pheasant 



over 130 species of insects, including will eat as many of the destructive pest 



earthworms, are eaten by the pheasant, as a number of quail. Many of the in- 



