CHAPTER I. 



PHEASANTS : Their Natural History. Varieties. Crosses. 



THE pheasants which exist in the woods and coverts of the 

 British Isles for the most part consist of true or cross-bred 

 stock of two very similar but distinct species. These are 

 known generally as the Old English or Dark-necked 

 Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and the Ring-necked 

 Pheasant (P. torquatus). Although coming from widely- 

 distant lands originally, they possess, under the influence 

 of acclimatisation, almost identical characteristics of 

 haunt and habit, differ but slightly in bodily structure, 

 and beyond the divergences of plumage indicated by 

 their names resemble one another in general colouring. 

 These two species of pheasant represent the main stock 

 of British preserves, and in the meantime will serve as 

 the basis of what information is necessary as to the natural 

 history of this game-bird. Other species of pheasants 

 will be dealt with subsequently. 



The pheasant of the preserves of the British Isles is 

 mainly a denizen of the woods, but is not notable for 

 sharing all the characteristics of the winged species, for, 

 in addition to finding the major portion of its food upon 

 the ground, it builds its nest, save under very excep- 

 tional circumstances, always on the earth, while it 

 adopts as occasion arises either the boughs of trees or 

 the ground as a roosting-place. In its natural state, that 



