68 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
away from the spot. I once started a Hen Pheasant with a 
single young one, seemingly only a few days old; there might 
have been more, but I observed only this one. The mother 
fluttered before me for a moment, but suddenly darted towards 
the young one, seized it in her bill, and flew off along the sur¬ 
face through the woods with great steadiness and rapidity, till 
she was beyond my sight, leaving me in great surprise at the 
incident. I made a very close and active search around the spot 
for the rest, but without success. Here was a striking instance 
of something more than what is termed blind instinct, in this 
remarkable deviation from her usual manoeuvres when she has 
a numerous brood. It would have been impossible for me to 
have injured the affectionate mother who had exhibited such an 
example of presence of mind, reason, and sound judgment as 
must have convinced the most bigoted advocate of mere instinct. 
To carry off a whole brood in this manner at once, would have 
been impossible, and to attempt to save one at the expense of the 
the rest, would be unnatural. She, therefore, usually takes the 
only possible mode of saving them in that case, by decoying the 
person in pursuit of herself, by such a natural imitation of lameness 
as to impose on most people. But here, in the case of a single, 
solitary young one, she instantly altered her plan, and adopted 
the most simple and effectual means for its preservation. The 
Pheasant usually springs within a few yards, with a loud whir¬ 
ring noise, and flies with great vigor through the woods, beyond 
reach of view, before it alights. With a good dog, however, 
they are easily found, and at some times exhibit a singular 
degree of infatuation, by looking down from the branches where 
they sit, on the dog below, who, the more noise he keeps up, 
seems the more to confuse and stupify them, so that they may 
be shot down one by one till the whole are killed, without 
attempting to fly off. In such cases, those on the lower limbs 
must be taken first; for should the upper be first killed, in their 
fall they alarm those below, who immediately fly off. In deep 
snows they are usually taken in traps, commonly dead traps, 
supported by a figure 4 trigger. At this season, when suddenly 
