874 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



in ground often in a hedgerow, carelessly lined with a few dead leaves, 

 etc. : occasionally a nest of some other species in a tree up to 30 ft. 

 from ground is used. Eggs. — Usually 8 to 14 or 15, uniform olive- 

 brown normally, but exceptionally pale blue in colour. Average of 

 35 eggs, 45.93x36.04. Max. : 49.2x37 and 48x39. Min. 39x36.5 

 and 46.8x34.5 mm. Breeding -season. — First eggs are generally 

 laid early in April and become general a fortnight later. Incubation. 

 — By female only normally. Period 23-25 days. Single brooded, 

 but owing to artificial conditions many late broods are hatched off 

 and fresh eggs have been found in October. 



Food. — Very varied, both animal and vegetable. Under latter 

 head are included grass, tender shoots, bulbous roots of Ranunculus, 

 Polypodium, hazel nuts, acorns, corn, hawthorn berries, beech mast, 

 peas, beans, potatoes, plums, apples, pears, wild strawberry and 

 berries of Daphne, currant, elder, mistletoe and blackberry ; seeds 

 of many plants (Galium, Rumex, Ranunculus, Taraxacum, Plant-ago, 

 Galeopsis, Chenopodium, Brachypodium, Silene, Polygonum, etc.). 

 Also mollusca (small white slugs, and snails), earthworms, insects 

 (coleoptera, including Loclimaea suturalis, larvae of lepidoptera, 

 diptera, hymenoptera (ants and Ichneumon), orthoptera, etc.) : oak 

 spangles (Neuroterus), while exceptionally lizards (Lacerta agilis), 

 slow-worms and vipers have been swallowed and twice male birds 

 have been killed by swallowing field- voles. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Introduced in England 

 before 1066, in Scotland and Ireland about five hundred years later. 

 Now generally hybridized with Ph. c. torquatus, introduced about 

 1785, and other races more recently. Generally distributed but not 

 Shetlands and unsuccessfully introduced Orkneys. Scarce Ireland 

 in places not preserved. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Various Pheasants have been introduced 

 into almost every part of Europe and many suitable places in N. 

 America. In no part of Europe are they indigenous. True home 

 of Ph. colchicus colchicus is in west parts of Transcaucasia, basins 

 of rivers Rion and Chorokh, or districts round east and south-east 

 shores of Black Sea generally, not further north than Sukham-kaie. 

 Represented by more or less closely-allied forms in Caucasus, east 

 Transcaucasia, Talysch, and many parts of west, north, and central 

 Asia. 



Genus PERDIX Briss. 



Peri>ix Brisson, Orn., i, pp. 26, 219 (1760 — Type by tautonymy Perdix 



cinerea = Perdix perdix). 



Nostrils not covered by feathers. Tail rounded, 16 to (usually) 

 18 rectrices. 4th and 5th primaries longest. Tarsus bare, no spurs. 

 Sexes not strikingly different. Eggs unspotted. Three species, one 

 in Europe, two in northern Asia. 



