﻿122 
  A 
  MONOGRAPH 
  OF 
  THE 
  PHEASANTS 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  autumn 
  the 
  birds 
  often 
  spend 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  day 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  low 
  

   hills, 
  and 
  feed 
  in 
  early 
  morning 
  and 
  late 
  afternoon. 
  Choice 
  of 
  locality 
  in 
  general 
  depends 
  

   upon 
  suitable 
  feeding 
  for 
  the 
  particular 
  season, 
  freedom 
  from 
  attack 
  by 
  ground 
  vermin, 
  

   and 
  presence 
  of 
  concealing 
  shelter. 
  

  

  The 
  voice 
  of 
  the 
  Ring-neck 
  differs 
  in 
  no 
  way 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  its 
  relatives 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  

   and 
  north, 
  and 
  but 
  little 
  from 
  the 
  calls 
  of 
  our 
  domestic 
  fowls. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  the 
  cock 
  

   pheasant 
  summons 
  his 
  mate 
  or 
  mates 
  to 
  share 
  or 
  appropriate 
  some 
  especially 
  delectable 
  

   morsel 
  of 
  food. 
  The 
  accompanying 
  movement 
  is 
  a 
  picking 
  up 
  and 
  dropping 
  of 
  the 
  food, 
  

   thus 
  calling 
  it 
  to 
  visual 
  attention, 
  while, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  a 
  low 
  chuckle 
  or 
  crooning 
  

   sound 
  is 
  uttered. 
  

  

  When 
  suddenly 
  frightened, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  first 
  few 
  frantic 
  wing-beats, 
  a 
  loud, 
  

   piercing 
  cackle 
  or 
  series 
  of 
  squawks 
  is 
  given. 
  As 
  a 
  complete 
  antithesis, 
  when 
  the 
  birds 
  

   are 
  settling 
  quietly 
  down 
  for 
  their 
  night's 
  roost, 
  a 
  sweet, 
  low, 
  content 
  song 
  is 
  sometimes 
  

   given 
  with 
  closed 
  bill. 
  The 
  challenge 
  crow 
  of 
  the 
  cock 
  is 
  the 
  familiar 
  kok-cack 
  ! 
  

   repeated 
  several 
  times, 
  usually 
  with 
  the 
  accompanying 
  wing 
  whirr. 
  This 
  latter 
  is 
  less 
  

   developed 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  silver 
  and 
  kaleege 
  pheasants, 
  but 
  is 
  constantly 
  used, 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  

   connection 
  with 
  the 
  challenge 
  and 
  mating 
  call, 
  but 
  to 
  express 
  emotion, 
  such 
  as 
  suspicion 
  

   or 
  curiosity. 
  

  

  Young 
  cocks 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  begin, 
  weakly 
  and 
  tremulously, 
  to 
  crow 
  about 
  September, 
  

   and 
  attain 
  their 
  vocal 
  goal 
  in 
  October, 
  in 
  which 
  month 
  they 
  begin 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  sham 
  

   combats 
  with 
  their 
  fellows. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  February 
  to 
  June 
  the 
  cock 
  pheasants 
  crow 
  at 
  daylight. 
  Later 
  in 
  

   the 
  morning 
  the 
  call 
  changes 
  to 
  a 
  lower 
  cackle, 
  apparently 
  a 
  summons 
  to 
  the 
  hens, 
  or 
  

   guiding 
  call 
  to 
  the 
  feeding-grounds. 
  During 
  the 
  heat 
  of 
  the 
  day 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  silent. 
  

   From 
  August 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  October 
  occurs 
  another 
  vocal 
  season. 
  

  

  The 
  alarm 
  note 
  of 
  the 
  hen, 
  given 
  at 
  the 
  sight 
  of 
  hawks 
  or 
  kestrels, 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  

   of 
  a 
  bantam, 
  and 
  the 
  chicks 
  vanish 
  at 
  once. 
  The 
  cluck 
  of 
  reassurance 
  or 
  summons 
  to 
  

   food 
  is 
  low, 
  but 
  not 
  unlike 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  domestic 
  hen. 
  All 
  notes 
  are 
  given 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  

   except 
  when 
  a 
  bird 
  is 
  suddenly 
  frightened 
  from 
  a 
  tree, 
  when 
  it 
  gives 
  voice 
  to 
  the 
  wild 
  

   staccato 
  cackling, 
  expressing 
  great 
  fear. 
  

  

  The 
  chicks 
  eat 
  little 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  day 
  or 
  two, 
  and 
  then 
  they 
  are 
  usually 
  led 
  to 
  low 
  

   grass 
  or 
  dead 
  leaves, 
  where 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  small 
  spiders 
  and 
  insects 
  furnishes 
  the 
  

   primary 
  diet. 
  After 
  about 
  ten 
  days, 
  succulent 
  young 
  grass 
  and 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  young 
  rice 
  

   may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  their 
  crops, 
  but 
  not 
  until 
  after 
  six 
  weeks 
  do 
  they 
  take 
  seeds 
  of 
  grass 
  

   and 
  weeds. 
  The 
  mother 
  chooses 
  a 
  well-concealed 
  spot 
  for 
  the 
  nightly 
  shelter, 
  and 
  

   spends 
  no 
  two 
  nights 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  place. 
  If 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  rotten 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  nest 
  happen 
  

   to 
  get 
  broken, 
  the 
  hen 
  may 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  vicinity 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  days, 
  attracted 
  by 
  the 
  swarm 
  

   of 
  flies 
  and 
  other 
  insects 
  drawn 
  by 
  the 
  odour 
  of 
  the 
  yolk. 
  But 
  the 
  odour 
  of 
  the 
  newly 
  

   emerged 
  brood 
  is 
  in 
  sharp 
  contrast 
  to 
  the 
  total 
  lack 
  of 
  scent 
  of 
  the 
  sitting 
  bird, 
  and 
  the 
  

   danger 
  of 
  weasels 
  being 
  attracted 
  is 
  too 
  great 
  for 
  any 
  continued 
  remaining 
  in 
  the 
  

   vicinity. 
  Little 
  by 
  little, 
  as 
  the 
  young 
  become 
  stronger, 
  they 
  are 
  led 
  toward 
  the 
  hill- 
  

   sides 
  and 
  denser 
  cover, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  dewdrops 
  cease 
  to 
  provide 
  sufficient 
  moisture, 
  and 
  

   the 
  daily 
  trips 
  are 
  inaugurated 
  to 
  the 
  nearest 
  water 
  supply. 
  In 
  some 
  cases, 
  at 
  least, 
  the 
  

   hens 
  of 
  a 
  certain 
  district 
  left 
  their 
  broods 
  once 
  or 
  twice 
  a 
  day 
  to 
  fly 
  alone 
  to 
  water 
  for 
  

   a 
  short 
  drink. 
  

  

  