THE GAME BREEDER 



87 



REEVES PHEASANT. 



Mr. Kendricks and Reeves Pheasant. 



This handsome bird, as shown in our 

 illustration, was first imported into Eng- 

 land about the year 1831 by Mr. Reeves, 

 this being a male bird, and in 1838 a fe- 

 male was brought over, but these birds 

 did not breed, the male bird possibly 

 being too old. However, some cross- 

 breeds were reared. It is a native of 

 China, and is called by the Chinese Chi- 

 Chi. The plumage is shown in the il- 

 lustration. The head is covered with a 

 cowl of white, surrounded by a black 

 band with a white spot under the eye; 

 the neck has a broad ring of white ; the 

 feathers of the back and upper part of 

 the breast are of a brilliant golden color, 

 margined with bands of black. Those of 

 the lower part of the breast are white, 

 each one having bands of black, rather 

 irregular in their arrangement. The un- 

 der-parts of the body are deep black, and 

 the tail consists of eighteen feathers 



closely folded together. The length of 

 the tail varies with the age of the bird, 

 from 4 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft., at the broadest 

 part only being two inches. The color of 

 the tail feathers are greyish white, 

 golden-red at the edges, and crossed with 

 crescent-shaped bars of black, varying 

 according to the length of the feather. 



These handsome birds are to be found 

 on many of the large estates in Great 

 Britain, but are not much of a success 

 as a sporting bird,, except in a hilly coun- 

 try where they come well over the guns. 

 In flat coverts they seldom rise well, and 

 are more likely to go back over the 

 beaters' heads than face forward guns. 

 One of the prettiest sights is to see a 

 Reeves' cock well over the tops of some 

 high trees turn to go back. In doing 

 this he comes head downwards, with his 

 immense tail spread out like a huge fan, 

 showing all the underparts of body, tail, 

 and wings. Then, when he has recovered 

 his balance he darts off like a rocket, his 

 long tail quivering like so many bobbins 

 tied together at the end of a kite. 



They are very hardy, and rear their 

 young exclusively in covert, and unless 

 driven are very rarely seen outside. 

 They are very pugnacious and most in- 

 veterate strayers, and it is very little use 

 trying to keep them on a small estate. 

 At Elveden, in Suffolk, where there were 

 a fair quantity, one frequently heard of 

 cock birds being killed several miles 

 away and it was only in certain coverts 

 on that estate where they could be in- 

 duced to stay. 



They cross fairly freely with the or- 

 dinary P. Colchicus, P. Torquatus, or P. 

 Principals, the first time the progeny 

 being a bird of great beauty and from 

 4^2 lbs. to 5 lbs. in weight when full 

 grown. It is, however, difficult to get 

 a second cross. The writer only obtained 

 about a dozen birds out of some two hun- 

 dred eggs as a second cross, and only two 

 from the third. It will be seen from this 

 that they are undesirable in our game 

 coverts except for show. The writer 

 once saw a half-bred bird shot, which on 

 being picked up was' greatly admired by 



