PHEASANT. — j Phasianus Colchicus. 
The Pheasant was originally brought into this country from Asia Minor, and 
by dint of careful preservation, has fairly settled itself in this country. 
The food of this bird is extremely varied. When young it is generally fed on 
ants’ eggs, maggots, grits, and similar food ; but when it is fully grown, it is 
possessed of an accommodating appetite, and will eat many kinds of seeds, roots, 
and leaves. The tubers of the common buttercup form a considerable item in its 
diet, and the bird will also eat beans, peas, acorns, berries of various kinds, and 
has even been known to eat the ivy leaf as well as the berry. 
The Pheasant is a ground-loving bird, running with great speed, and always 
preferring to trust to its legs rather than its wings. 
The nest of this bird is merely a small heap of grass and leaves on the 
ground, on which are laid a large number of olive-brown eggs. 
X'ijS 
