Chapter XI: The Pheasantry

Mr. Ashley’s pleasure-grounds were very extensive; and in one corner of the park he had inclosed four or five acres of land for keeping rare and curious birds.

Early in the afternoon, he proposed to his young visitors to take a walk to the pheasantry, as it was called; an offer which they gladly accepted. They entered the inclosure by going through a pretty cottage, where an old man lived who had the care of the birds.

The cottage was deserted; but outside the back door they found Maddox asleep in a chair, and his little grand-daughter Peggy hard at work by his side.

Peggy rose, and curtsied in a very pretty manner. Then having roused the old man, by telling him that ’squire Ashley was come, she sat down again to her needle. But master William, who was very fond of her, begged she would leave her work while they stayed, and look after the birds with them. On a grass plot close to the cottage there were three or four hens under baskets; and they had each a little brood belonging to them, which the Bensons mistook for bantams. But Peggy said they were young pheasants; their eggs they often set under hens, as they made the best mothers of any fowl.

“Are these _all_ we are to see?” inquired Arthur.

“No, sir,” replied Peggy; “we have many that are full grown; only they are now scattered about, and hid among the bushes. I’ll call them.”

She then fetched out a pan with some of their food, which she scattered over the grass, calling at the same time in a particular manner. Presently several pheasants came from their hiding-places. They were rather shy at first; but by degrees they ventured nearer, and at last began to eat the food that was thrown to them. The boys admired their beauty. The plumage of some was of a fine gold colour, variegated with streaks of purple and green. These they learnt were called gold pheasants. The silver pheasants were very handsome, although not quite so showy. They were of a clear white, streaked likewise with purple on the neck and breast. The common pheasant was not equal in beauty to these; but it had notwithstanding a great variety of colours, and was remarkably brilliant.

“What do you feed them with?” asked Charles.

“Ants’ eggs and curds are most proper for them,” said Peggy: “but they will eat oats and barley; and they pick up wood-lice, and earwigs, and other insects.”

A loud squalling now diverted the attention of the little party to another object. They looked up, and saw it proceeded from a peacock, which was perched on the top of a high tree.

Charles inquired if any thing was the matter with him; he was answered that they always made such noise. A little further in the woods they found another peacock. His beautiful long tail did not trail after him in the usual way, for he had spread it, so as to make the feathers stand straight out from his body; and the eyes, or large spots in the ends of the feathers, being raised one above the other, had a very pretty effect. In this state he marched about with a proud air, and turned himself round and round, as if to exhibit his gaudy appearance to every body present.

Arthur observed another bird with a fine neck and head like the peacock, but without his beautiful tail. In answer to his inquiries, Mr. Ashley told him that it was a pea-hen, and added, that, with very few exceptions, the females, throughout the feathered race, were greatly inferior in beauty to the males.

The party now returned to the house, and Arthur, who liked to know to what purpose every thing was applied, asked Mr. Ashley, what was the use of the fine birds they had seen?

“They are merely kept as curiosities,” answered that gentleman. “Now and then we kill a young pea-fowl, to eat as a delicacy; but my chief motive in keeping them is, that I may have the pleasure of showing them to my friends.”

“Pheasants are eaten sometimes, I know,” said Charles.

“Yes,” said William; “but not gold and silver pheasants. The common ones that fly about wild, are killed in the shooting season by the sportsmen, the same as partridges and other game.”

_Charles._ What do you mean by game?

_Mr. Ashley._ Game denotes such kind of birds, or beasts, as are taken or killed by fowling and hunting.

They were now arrived at the house, and Mr. Ashley left them; but the boys, at the request of Arthur, resumed their game of trapball.