﻿58 
  A 
  MONOGRAPH 
  OF 
  THE 
  PHEASANTS 
  

  

  haunts 
  of 
  each 
  pair, 
  and 
  keeping 
  a 
  very 
  sharp 
  look-out, 
  I 
  was 
  able 
  almost 
  always 
  

   to 
  see 
  either 
  one 
  or 
  both 
  birds 
  dive 
  suddenly 
  into 
  a 
  tuft 
  of 
  grass, 
  or 
  very 
  rarely 
  to 
  flush 
  

   from 
  almost 
  under 
  my 
  feet. 
  When 
  the 
  first 
  happened 
  I 
  would 
  walk 
  straight 
  on 
  as 
  if 
  I 
  

   had 
  not 
  seen 
  the 
  birds, 
  and 
  then, 
  when 
  out 
  of 
  sight, 
  circle 
  around 
  and 
  wriggle 
  my 
  way 
  

   behind 
  boulders 
  and 
  scrubby 
  trees 
  to 
  some 
  overlooking 
  shelf 
  or 
  mass 
  of 
  vegetation. 
  

   I 
  found 
  that 
  my 
  umbrella 
  observation 
  tent 
  was 
  most 
  useful 
  with 
  these 
  birds, 
  and 
  after 
  

   the 
  tent 
  had 
  been 
  in 
  position 
  for 
  only 
  twenty-four 
  hours, 
  I 
  could 
  enter 
  it 
  and 
  count 
  

   on 
  the 
  birds 
  recovering 
  their 
  confidence 
  within 
  ten 
  or 
  fifteen 
  minutes. 
  But, 
  as 
  I 
  

   have 
  said, 
  such 
  a 
  splendid 
  chance 
  of 
  observing 
  sedentary 
  pheasants 
  in 
  comparatively 
  

   open, 
  unobstructed 
  country 
  was 
  robbed 
  of 
  much 
  of 
  its 
  pleasure 
  by 
  the 
  very 
  bourgeois 
  

   behaviour 
  of 
  the 
  birds. 
  During 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  my 
  stay 
  I 
  saw 
  no 
  other 
  but 
  the 
  three 
  pairs 
  

   of 
  Cheer 
  near 
  this 
  place, 
  although 
  impeyan, 
  koklass 
  and 
  kaleege 
  were 
  not 
  far 
  away. 
  

   The 
  covey 
  of 
  eight 
  or 
  ten 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  described 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  flock 
  I 
  observed. 
  

   Other 
  observers 
  give 
  us 
  four 
  to 
  twelve, 
  or 
  six 
  to 
  twenty 
  individuals 
  as 
  being 
  the 
  

   number 
  sometimes 
  found 
  together 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  than 
  the 
  breeding 
  season. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  most 
  interesting 
  and 
  significant 
  to 
  see 
  to 
  what 
  an 
  extent 
  both 
  cocks 
  

   and 
  hens 
  trusted 
  to 
  concealment 
  by 
  squatting 
  rather 
  than 
  running 
  or 
  flying, 
  and 
  I 
  

   consider 
  it 
  an 
  expressive 
  commentary 
  on 
  the 
  protective 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  plumage 
  coloration 
  

   of 
  both 
  sexes 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  others 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  impeyan. 
  

   It 
  is 
  well 
  enough 
  to 
  sit 
  in 
  our 
  study 
  or 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  skin 
  or 
  mounted 
  specimens 
  of 
  these 
  

   various 
  birds 
  to 
  the 
  woods 
  and 
  fields 
  and 
  prove 
  to 
  our 
  entire 
  satisfaction 
  that 
  the 
  

   colours 
  of 
  all 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  harmonize 
  with 
  some 
  one 
  or 
  other 
  situation. 
  But 
  

   it 
  is 
  proof 
  past 
  convincing 
  when 
  we 
  see 
  an 
  impeyan 
  get 
  up 
  and 
  betake 
  his 
  armour 
  

   of 
  rainbow 
  metallic 
  tints 
  off, 
  as 
  far 
  away 
  as 
  the 
  bird 
  can 
  detect 
  us 
  ; 
  and 
  again 
  when 
  we 
  

   almost 
  put 
  our 
  foot 
  upon 
  a 
  cock 
  Cheer 
  as 
  it 
  squats 
  closely 
  amid 
  the 
  stubby 
  grass 
  

   which 
  so 
  nearly 
  approximates 
  its 
  own 
  yellow 
  buffs 
  and 
  browns 
  — 
  it 
  is 
  proof 
  of 
  the 
  

   relative 
  protective 
  values 
  which 
  is 
  as 
  good 
  circumstantial 
  evidence 
  as 
  Thoreau's 
  trout 
  

   in 
  the 
  milk-pail. 
  If 
  we 
  cannot 
  trust 
  the 
  relative 
  instinctive 
  reactions 
  at 
  the 
  approach 
  

   of 
  danger 
  which 
  not 
  one, 
  but 
  myriads 
  of 
  lifetimes 
  have 
  stamped 
  upon 
  the 
  behaviour 
  

   of 
  absolutely 
  wild 
  birds, 
  many 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  never 
  seen 
  man 
  before, 
  we 
  assuredly 
  

   cannot 
  accept 
  the 
  evidence 
  of 
  artificial 
  manipulation 
  of 
  dead 
  actors 
  and 
  ill-adapted 
  

   scenery 
  in 
  a 
  land 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  globe 
  from 
  where 
  the 
  age-long 
  evolution 
  

   of 
  the 
  pheasant 
  itself 
  took 
  place. 
  

  

  Like 
  many 
  dull, 
  protectively 
  hued 
  birds, 
  these 
  pheasants 
  are 
  "most 
  conspicuous 
  

   when 
  in 
  full 
  flight, 
  apart 
  from 
  their 
  abrupt 
  removal 
  from 
  the 
  assimilating 
  hues 
  

   of 
  the 
  grasses. 
  The 
  golden 
  and 
  green 
  sheen 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  rump 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  

   of 
  their 
  headlong 
  rush 
  sometimes 
  catches 
  the 
  glint 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  but 
  the 
  tail 
  flares 
  

   out 
  into 
  a 
  streaming 
  cross-barred 
  train, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  bird 
  veers 
  suddenly 
  to 
  clear 
  

   a 
  low 
  tree 
  or 
  projecting 
  boulder, 
  this 
  fan 
  spreads 
  widely 
  and 
  becomes 
  for 
  a 
  fraction 
  

   of 
  time 
  a 
  most 
  conspicuous 
  spot 
  of 
  pattern 
  and 
  colour. 
  

  

  The 
  flight 
  of 
  the 
  Cheer, 
  while 
  for 
  sheer 
  speed 
  excelled 
  by 
  probably 
  few 
  other 
  

   birds, 
  yet 
  is 
  heavy 
  and 
  far 
  from 
  actually 
  strong. 
  The 
  bird 
  has 
  marvellous 
  ability 
  to 
  

   turn 
  and 
  stop 
  itself, 
  but 
  to 
  see 
  it 
  beating 
  uphill 
  or 
  even 
  on 
  a 
  level 
  is 
  to 
  realize 
  

   that 
  gravity 
  is 
  the 
  prime 
  factor 
  in 
  its 
  wonderful 
  bursts 
  of 
  speed, 
  and 
  that 
  trusting 
  

   to 
  muscular 
  effort 
  alone, 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  cover 
  only 
  very 
  short 
  distances. 
  Unless 
  

  

  