864 PHEASANT.
tops, and grass, the roots of the golden buttercup, and of various
grasses and bulbous plants; worms, grasshoppers, gnats, and other insects.
It does a large amount of damage in its consumption of the
first-named: where there are ant-hills, the hen bird leads her young
to them, in the grass-fields, and afterwards into those of corn. Mr.
MaegilHvray found a quantity of a species of fern in one of these
birds. If they come into a garden, they devour grapes, potatoes,
carrots, cabbages, and turnips, and scratch the ground in search of
food. They are particularly fond of sunflower seeds and buckwheat.
The crow of the Pheasant, which bears but an humble resemblance
to t h e ' C o c k ' s shrill clarion,'is begun to be heard in March, and then
frequently in April and May. The hen in like manner utters a low
chirp—a ' t s h e c , ' 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 tin1 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 firing 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 1 [arvey's powder mills, at
Hounslow, was answered by them at a distance of fifty miles, as
witnessed and recorded by A. E. Knox, Esq. 'The Common Pheasant,
as is well known,* says the Rev. Leonard Jcnyns, 'betrays the place of
his repose by hi- 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 cry, 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. To hear this distinctly, it is necessary
for the observer to be almost immediately under the tree on which
the Pheasant is perched. Some individuals crow in a much shriller
kcy than the others; such, perhaps, are the young cocks of the year.'
The nest, a very slight fabrication of a few leaves or straws, is
made upon the ground, sometimes in the open fields, but more oommonly
in woods and plantations, among underwood, under fallen or felled
boughs and branches of trees, in long grass, and in hedgerows: a few
feathers sometimes become detached from the bird, and are found among
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the eggs. She has been known to remove them, when disturbed, and
to form a new nest.
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. A nest and seven eggs were found about the 20th.
of February, 1869, at Wood Hall, in Holderuess, Yorkshire. They
are from six to ten and even fourteen in number, smooth, and of a
light olive brown colour minutely dotted all over. 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 May, June, or
July, and they keep with her till they begin to moult to the full plumage.
They soon learn to run about with her, and when half grown begin
to roost on the same tree. It would appear that two hens will sometimes
lay in one and the same nest, and also that that of the Partridge
will occasionally be made use of, even if it already contain eggs, the
Pheasant expelling their proper owner, and hatching them with her
own, and bringing up the young. The eggs arc subject to considerable
malformation. Mr. Hewitson mentions one sent to him by the lion.
Mrs. LiddcU, which was of a cylindrical shape.
Male; weight, very variable—from two pounds and a half to three
pounds, and even, in some instances, over four pounds; length, two
feet ten inches to two feet eleven. Bill, whitish or pale yellowish,
or pale greenish horn-colour, the base rather darker. The eye is
surrounded by a bare skin of a bright scarlet colour, minutely speckled
with bluish black: in parts it approaches deep red, and in some seasons
of the year, crimson. Iris, pale yellowish orange, with a tinge of brown,
the eyelids flesh-coloured: over the ear is a small tuft of dark goldengreen
feathers, set out in the spring. Head on the crown, deep brownish
green, with yellowish marginal edgings, the feathers rather elongated
and silky; neck behind, deep green, and on the sides and in front,
greenish blue and purple blue, alternately reflecting burnished shades
of green, purple, and brown, in different lights. Chin, throat, and
breast above, dark golden red, each feather margined with glossv
black and reflecting tints of gold and purple; lower down, brownish
black glossed with green, the margins of the feathers being of the
latter colour, and in young birds tinged with reddish. Back, on the
upper part dark orange red, within which is a yellowish white band,
the feathers margined with velvet black, and with a central oblong
spot of the same on the sides; lower down dark orange red, the centre
of each feather dark, with an outer band of pale yeUow, with spots
of light blue and purple, then light brownish red, the feathers elongated,
with loose filaments.
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