Japanese Aviculture 



lead him to the conclusion that stroking and 

 pulling the growing feathers, the method said 

 to be employed in Japan, has a distinct effect 

 in producing a longer period of growth than 

 would normally be the case. But it is very 

 doubtful whether this alone would produce the 

 very lengthened plumage, and a certain innate 

 tendency to extravagant growth of feather, in- 

 creased by selection, may be safely inferred, 

 as without artificial manipulation the length of 

 feather attained is still comparatively very 

 great. 



No specimen kept in Europe has, however, 

 ever grown such tail - feathers as have been 

 produced in Japan, where, according to the 

 Japanese, a length of 23 feet has been attained, 

 though even 12 feet is a rarity. Even the 

 saddle-hackles, growing from the back, have 

 reached a length of 4 feet. It seems that in 

 some cases the long tail-feathers are not moulted, 

 but go on growing continuously for some years, 

 at all events. 



The proper way of managing the cocks is to 

 keep them on a high perch in a dark narrow 

 cage, taking them down every two or three days 

 for a little exercise, with a man acting as train- 

 bearer to keep the tail from injury ; and it says a 

 great deal for the constitution of these fowls that 



they are vigorous and high-couraged, for such 



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