consider the median concentration to be a more appro- 
priate measure of central tendency than the mean. This 
was true for at least some of the values for the 
pheasant tissues; for instance, concentrations of copper 
in the pooled samples of feet had a median value of 
<5 ppm, whereas the mean was an unrealistic >46 
ppm (Table 13). In the following discussion, median 
concentrations in comparable body parts — among 
birds of the three age groups and from the three 
regions — are used in most instances. This, of course, 
does not overcome the possibility that concentrations 
in individual pooled samples. may in themselves be 
skewed toward high values. 
Size and Weight of the Pheasants 
Mean wing lengths and body weights indicated that 
pheasants from the three areas were of similar size and 
were in the same general physical condition (Table 1). 
The only exceptions were the two adults from Neoga, 
which were larger and heavier, on the average, than 
adults from Sibley and Humboldt. In general, and 
regardless of the area from which they were collected, 
adults were larger and heavier than juveniles. 
Percent Ash of the Wet (or Dry) Tissues 
Weights of the ash of the pheasants’ body parts are 
presented in grams and as percentages of the wet (or 
dry) weights in Table 2. Percent ash of the dry weight 
of bones had a median value of 62.86. Feet, which 
comprise considerable keratinous and other tissue as 
well as bone, contained less ash, the median value 
being 37.82 percent on a dry-weight basis. Spector 
(1956:73), after compiling the work of many research- 
ers, reported the ash content of dry, fat-free bone from 
several species of vertebrates to be roughly 61-75 per- 
cent; the ash content of femurs from turkeys was 
approximately 70 percent. Thus, the percent ash of 
pheasant bones appears to be similar to percentages 
for bones of many other vertebrates. 
Dried feathers from the pheasants contained a 
median of 1.29 percent ash (Table 2). The ash con- 
tent of feathers is apparently greater than that of hair, 
which is also a keratinous appendage of the skin. 
Human hair has been reported to be 0.2-0.9 percent 
ash on a dry-weight, fat-free basis (Spector 1956:77). 
Median concentrations of ash in whole blood and in 
soft body parts of the pheasants were seldom less than 
1 percent, and never more than 2 percent, on a wet- 
weight basis (Table 2). The only exceptions were fat 
(median 0.28 percent), intestines (median 0.63 per- 
cent), and thyroid glands (median 0.41 percent). 
Pancreases and thymuses contained the highest concen- 
trations of ash, the median values being 1.77 and 1.93, 
respectively. It is of special interest that the concen- 
trations of ash in all internal organs except livers and 
bursae were greater for birds from Sibley — good 
pheasant range — than for birds from Neoga — poor 
range (Table 2). This finding is elaborated upon else- 
where (Anderson & Stewart 1969:262, 268). 
The median values for percent ash of soft tissues of 
pheasants were, in general, similar to those for humans 
(Tipton & Cook 1963:105-130). Notable exceptions 
were concentrations of ash in adrenal and _ thyroid 
glands, which were 112 times greater and 63 percent 
less, respectively, in pheasants than in humans. 
Concentrations of Elements in Tissues 
Concentrations of the 23 elements in the various 
body parts are summarized in Tables 3-25. The 
concentrations are given in grams per 100 grams of 
ash (percentage in ash) for major elements and in 
micrograms per gram of ash (ppm in ash) for trace 
elements. To convert from ppm to percent, move the 
decimal four digits to the left. Values preceded by < 
or > indicate the concentrations were beyond the 
analytical capabilities of the techniques used; the values 
given are the lower or upper limits of detection attained. 
Concentrations in the ash may be converted to a wet- 
weight (or dry-weight) basis with this calculation: 
concentration in ash < percent ash of wet (or dry) 
body part -- 100. If concentrations in dry tissue are 
desired for those tissues for which the percent ash is 
presented on a wet-weight basis (Table 2), percent ash 
of wet tissue can be converted to a dry-weight basis 
with the aid of data presented in the literature. It is 
suggested that percent ash of wet and of dry human 
tissues published by Tipton & Cook (1963:105-130) 
be used for such conversions. 
Of the elements for which analyses were conducted, 
phosphorus was found to be the most abundant in the 
pheasants, the median concentrations in ash being 
more than 12 percent in all samples analyzed for this 
element except those of blood, fat, and feathers. Potas- 
sium, with median values exceeding 12 percent in 
blood and in most soft body parts, was also present in 
abundance. Calcium was highly abundant in bone, the 
median concentration being 34.13 percent, and mod- 
erately abundant in thyroid glands, in which the median 
concentration was 5.26 percent. Of the other two 
major elements, magnesium was most abundant in 
thyroid glands (median 8.42 percent) and sodium was 
most abundant in blood (median 16.88 percent). 
High concentrations (median 14.21 percent) of sodium 
also occurred in the thyroids. It is interesting that the 
ash of thyroid glands contained the highest concentra- 
tions for magnesium and the second highest for calcium, 
potassium, and sodium. Concentrations of phosphorus 
were not determined for these glands. 
