PHEASANT. 181 
The crow of the Pheasant, which bears but an humble re- 
semblance to the ‘Cock’s shrill clarion,’ is begun to be heard 
in March, and then frequently in April and May. The hen 
in lke manner utters a low chirp—a ‘tshee,’ when startled 
to take wing, and a slight call on the appearance of any 
danger. ‘The cocks crow at all hours of the day, from the 
time of quitting their night’s roost to the time of their 
again retiring to rest, and in the autumn early in the 
morning or late at night. They are particularly excited by 
thunder or any other loud noise, such as the blasting of 
rocks, or the firimg of cannon, even when so distant, as has 
been observed, as thirty miles; while their own crowing in 
concert on such occasions may be heard, it is said, at a 
distance of two miles. The explosion of Curtis and Harvey’s 
powder mills, at Hounslow, was answered by them at a 
distance of fifty miles, as witnessed by A. E. Knox, Esq. 
‘The Common Pheasant, as is well known,’ says the Rev. 
Leonard Jenyns, ‘betrays the \lace of his repose by his 
repeated crowing; the cock bird, for the hen appears to be 
nearly mute on these occasions, springs from the ground on 
to the tree selected for roosting with a harsh scream or 
chuckle, that continues unremitted till he has assumed his 
perch; it is then softened into a more harmonious crow, 
consisting of two, and in some cases three notes, which are 
repeated at intervals for a considerable time. Besides his 
ery, which is heard to a considerable distance, there is a 
weak inward noise immediately following, which sounds 
exactly like an echo of the first, consisting of the same notes 
only in a different key, and uttered very softly.’ 
The nest, a very slight fabrication of a few leaves, is made 
upon the ground, sometimes in the open fields, but more 
commonly in woods and plantations, among underwood, under 
fallen or felled boughs and ,branches of trees, in long grass, 
and in hedgerows. 
The eggs are begun to be laid in April and May, one 
after another for four, five, or six weeks, and incubation 
lasts from twenty-four to twenty-six days. They are from 
six to ten and even fourteen in number, smooth, and of a 
light olive brown colour minutely dotted all uver. Some are 
greyish white tinged with green. The hen sits for four and 
twenty hours on the brood after they are hatched, which 
takes place in June or July, and they keep with her till 
they begin to moult to the full plumage. ‘They soon learn 
