[ 190 1 



the Spring, and hatch twelve or fourteen at a 

 brood, which keep in a company till towards the 

 following Spring. Many have attempted to 

 raife the young ones, and to tame them,, 

 but to no purpofe. When hatched under a 

 hen they efcape into the woods foon after they 

 are hatched, where they either iind means to fiib- 

 fift or perifh." 



In order further to illuHrate the hiftory of 

 this bird, I wrote to Mr. Brooke, of Maryland, 

 in North- America, May 1752, now in London, 

 to defire the favour of him to give me what ac- 

 account he could of the bird calkd a Pheafant, 

 in the provinces of Pennfylvania, Maryland, 

 and he obliged me with a fatîsfaélory anfwer, by 

 letter, from which I have made the following 

 extrad, relating to the hiilory of this ruffed 

 G reus or Pheafant. • 



The Pheafant breeds in all parts of Mary- 

 land, fome countries on the weftern Ihore ex- 

 cepted. They lay their eggs in nefts they 

 make in the leaves, either by the fide of fallen? 

 tF^es, or the roots of Handing ones. They lay 



frona 



••V. 



if 



