NATURAL HISTORY. 



When a bird or a wild animal is killed, that is the end of it. If photographed, it may still live and its educational 



and scientific value is multiplied indefinitely. 



PHEASANTS AS GAME BIRDS. 



H. R. FOSTER. 



There are many kinds of pheasants, but 

 few of them are adapted for game birds 

 for this country. Only 2 species have 

 been tried to any extent, the English ring- 

 neck and the Chinese, in the Eastern part 

 of the United States, and the Chinese in 

 the Western part. The English pheasant, 

 Phasianus colchicus, was the first distinct 

 species of pheasant known in Europe. They 

 were brought from the banks of the River 

 Colchis, in Asia Minor, and so were called 

 colchicus.. These birds were dark, the 

 whole coloring inclined to dark, rich red. 

 The torquatus, from China, was next in- 

 troduced into England, and W. B. Teget- 

 meier, in his book on pheasants, says, 

 "Such swamping effects of interbreeding 

 have practically stamped out in the British 

 Islands the 2 different looking races of 

 pheasants which were introduced into 

 them, Phasianus colchicus, from Asia 

 Minor, and Phasianus torquatus, from 

 China. The pheasant of the British 

 Islands is, with rare exceptions, only a 

 mongrel between these 2 races;" and this 

 is what is called the English ringneck. 

 Being mongrels, the ringnecks are variable 

 in plumage, hardly any 2 being alike. The 

 white in the neck varies from one feather 

 just tipped with a speck of white to nearly 

 a complete circle. The rest of the plum- 

 age is darker and duller colored than that 

 of the Chinese pheasant. In disposition 

 the ringnecks are comparatively loggy and 

 tamable, and they fall an easy prey to their 

 enemies as well as to the sportsman. 

 There have been several attempts to in- 

 troduce the English ringneck into the New 

 England States. They stand the winters 

 fairly well, but fail to increase and finally 

 disappear. 



The Chinese pheasant, Phasianus tor- 

 quatus, is found in vast numbers every- 

 where in the North of China. The specific 

 name, torquatus, is derived from torquis, a 

 chain, or collar, around the bird's neck. 

 This collar of the male bird is conspicuous, 

 of shining white feathers, being broad at 

 the sides and narrower before and behind. 

 Over each eye is a conspicuous streak of 

 buffy white. The cock is truly a bird of 

 many colors. The shades of green of the 

 head, with the white collar, the white lines 

 over the eyes, the deep scarlet of the pap- 

 illated skin round the eyes, the green and 

 lavender tints on the back, the blue and 

 orange of the saddle, are particularly 



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pleasing. Then the long olive tail, barred 

 with black passing into reddish brown on 

 the sides, and the rich breast that shades 

 to deep copper color in the sun, make him 

 a beautiful bird indeed. 



In 1881 the Chinese pheasant was intro- 

 duced direct from China to Oregon and 

 liberated for a game bird by Hon. O. N. 

 Denny, of Portland, while he was Consul 

 General to China. These birds by some 

 have been called Mongolian pheasants, but 

 that is a misnomer. In the Mongolian the 

 wing coverts are white. Mr. Tegetmeier, 

 in his book, printed in 1897, says : "None 

 of these birds are known in a living state 

 in Europe;" and one breeder says the 

 Mongolian pheasant has never been seen 

 in this country. The pure Chinese is an 

 active, quick, untamable and wary bird, 

 constantly on the alert ; a bird of bold 

 flight, rising through the covert with 

 great quickness and then pursuing a swift, 

 straight course. Chinese pheasants like the 

 open fields, pastures and brush lands bet- 

 ter than deep woods. They will thrive 

 wherever quails will. They do not drive 

 away other birds. The hens have been 

 known to lay in the same nest with par- 

 tridges. 



The food of Chinese pheasants consists 

 of insects of every description, worms, 

 seeds of all kinds, fruit, berries, grain, 

 green, tender herbs, grass and roots of 

 many kinds, varying with the time of year. 

 These birds are great insect eaters. Teget- 

 meier tells what has been found in crops 

 of some after being shot. In one there 

 were upward of 1,200 wire worms ; in an- 

 ther 726 wire worms, one acorn, one snail, 

 9 berries and 3 grains of wheat ; in another 

 440 grubs of the crane fly, which is ex- 

 ceeding destructive to the roots of grass. 

 Pheasants are fond of the spangles of the 

 oaks and many of the roots of weeds. 

 Being natives of a cold part of China they 

 are the hardiest of all birds, capable of 

 going a long time without food. Birds 

 have been found all right after being 

 snowed under a week, in time of a blizzard. 



Chinese pheasants lay early and produce 

 an abundant supply of eggs. In Oregon 

 they raise 2 broods and sometimes 3 a 

 year. The hens lay 15 to 20 eggs each 

 time and hatch them all. The eggs vary 

 in color from greenish brown to grey- 

 ish green and are a little larger than a com- 

 mon pigeon's egg. These pheasants are 

 said to pair and bring up the young to- 

 gether. The cocks have been seen sitting 



