legs ftrong, furnifhed with fpurs, which in old birds are very 
iharp and nearly an inch long ; toes connected at the bafe by a 
flrong membrane. The female is about one third lefs than 
the male ; irides hazel ; the {kin on the fides of the head is 
not fo bright, nor is it fo much extended as in the male ; tail 
formed as in the other fex but fliorter. As the female differs 
confiderably in colour, we fhall give a figure of it in a future 
number. 
ThePheafant, though not indigenous, juftly claims a place 
among Britifh birds, being common in moft parts of this 
kingdom ; it is lefs abundant in the northern counties, and 
is but rarely feen in Scotland ; its favourite haunts are thick 
woods in the vicinity of corn lands, where it breeds ; it is a 
folitary bird, feldom being found in companies except in the 
breeding feafon ; the female lays from ten to fourteen eggs, 
in a ioofe kind of neft, formed of a few dry leaves and vege- 
tables fcraped together in the midfl of a tuft of high grafs, in 
the moft retired and unfrequented part of the wood ; where 
in hidden fecurity flie incubates alone, and does not admit the 
approaches of the male till the young are excluded ; in this 
fituation they are frequently deftroyed by foxes and martins ; as 
foon as the young quit the fliell, they follow the hen, who 
leads them to ant-hills, near which they continue for two or 
three weeks, after which they peck up moft kinds of fmall 
infers, feeds, and grain ; in confinement the female will lay 
1 great number of eggs, but feldom hatches them or fits out 
her time, as the male will often break in on her retirement 
and deftroy the eggs ^ to prevent which, the eggs are ufually 
taken away, and placed under a com^mon hen ; when thus 
hatched, they require murh attention and a continual fupply 
of 
