246 MR. J. T. CUNNINGHAM ON [ Mar. 17, 
accommodated in two of the pheasants’ aviaries. I brought them 
from Cornwall in hampers in a night train, with the tails tied up 
in papers, and none of the feathers were injured. While they 
were at the Gardens I kept the tail of B tied up, while that of A, 
in which there were no long growing-feathers, was left free. Both 
the birds were left at liberty. During the fortnight after their 
arrival, all the remaining old feathers in both tails were shed, and 
the moult was thus completed, while in B there were left the seven 
long feathers which had grown in place of those pulled out earlier 
in the year. 
This observation disposes, at any rate for these specimens, of the 
supposition that the tail-feathers of the breed are not moulted 
when left to themselves. 
Oct. 11th.—Took away Cock B and the light-coloured hen from 
the Gardens and placed them in a private fowl-house. The left 
central rectrix measured 2 ft. 53 in., showing a growth of about 
5 inches in five weeks. I fixed up a short perch on a stand, and 
at first allowed both birds to fly up to it in the afternoon, then 
later in the evening tied the cock to the perch and unfastened its 
tail till the morning. 
Oct. 22nd.—1 intentionally pulled out the fourth of the anterior 
coverts on the right side which had stopped growing, in order to 
make the new feather grow again. Thus there were left only six 
long feathers, all growing. 
Oct. 29th.—In the morning found the Cock B hanging from the 
perch by the leg which was attached by the piece of tape. 
Generally, if he tried to fly off when he was tied, he was able to get 
back again, but this time the tape slipped down the vertical sup- 
port, and he was unable to do so. In his struggles he had injured 
the longest feather, the left central rectrix, at the base, and it 
broke off near the top of the sheath. The detached part was 
2 ft. 54 in. long. The root of the feather was uninjured, and the 
basal part continued to grow. 
Nov. 2nd.—Measured the central rectrix of the right side, which 
was now the longest feather: it was 1 ft. 11 in. in length. 
Nov. 15th.—Examined Cock A at the Zoological Gardens. The 
rectrices were nearly full-grown, except the two central pairs 
which were shed last, and which were only a few inches in length. 
The coverts were only a few inches in length, and were not likely 
to reach the ground for some weeks. 
Nov. 17th.—This evening when I removed the paper from 
Cock B, I found that another of the long feathers had come out. 
The bird had been free all day, and must have pulled out the feather 
by catching it in some projection when wallowing in the earth, or 
must have accidentally pulled it out when preening himself. It 
was the second anterior covert of the right side, and was 1 ft. 93 in. 
long (53°8 cm.). 
There were now only four long growing-feathers besides the 
left central rectrix which was not lost but broken off. 
Dec. 6th.—I brought away Cock A and the other three hens 
