THE CARE OF PHEASANTS IN CAPTIVITY 207 



pursue a single female and kill her if possible. If more than one hen is present, his 

 attention is apt to be diverted from one to the other. Suitable hiding-places, such as 

 clumps of brush, should be provided, under which the unfortunate bird may rest if too 

 hotly pursued. 



Ring-neck cocks, at any rate, will fertilize the eggs of four or five females, and this 

 is true, though perhaps to a less degree, of most of the members of the genus Phasimtus. 

 Goldens will mate with three or four hens, and Reeves, Lady Amhersts and Silvers with 

 at least two. Some other species will sometimes accept more than one mate, but in 

 most cases, and sometimes even with those mentioned above, it will be found that the 

 proportion of fertile eggs depends entirely on the number laid by the favourite, those 

 deposited by the others invariably proving infertile. 



Little work has been done on this point, but it seems probable that much of the 

 predominance of infertile eggs in " fancy " pheasants is due simply to the monogamous 

 nature of the species, as of individual males. Several species, such as the Argus, 

 Impeyans, Peacock Pheasants, and probably also the Firebacks, are unvaryingly 

 monogamous. 



Male and female should never be confined in a small place together, especially 

 during the breeding season, as trouble is very apt to occur. 



It certainly is not safe to allow more than one male in a small pen where females 

 are present, as the cocks are very pugnacious and certain to injure each other, particularly 

 during the spring. During the balance of the year the sexes of the less quarrelsome 

 species may possibly be allowed to mingle, if the run is very large and provided with an 

 abundance of close cover. Ring-necks seem very docile in this respect, and several 

 hundreds of birds of both sexes will spend the autumn and winter together in perfect 

 amity, and even go through the breeding season with very little quarrelling, if in 

 sufficiently roomy quarters. 



Golden and Silver males will agree even in rather small aviaries, if no females are 

 present, and a group of fifty males of these species running together on fresh sod 

 presents a lovely sight. If the cage is too small, some fighting may result, and feather 

 eating almost certainly. In some cases this vice is carried to extremes, and a flock of 

 erstwhile handsome birds will have hardly a whole feather amongst them. If not 

 crowded, however, there is no trouble of any kind. Ring-neck cocks, and possibly also 

 some others, will do well under similar circumstances. 



SHIPPING 



Great care must be taken in shipping pheasants, as they are very nervous and easily 

 frightened. The box must be sufficiently large to allow the cock to turn without ruining 

 his tail, and just high enough to permit the birds to stand upright. The top must be 

 padded, for doing which there are two excellent methods. One is to stretch burlap 

 tightly across the box about two inches below the slats which form the top, leaving a 

 space between. The burlap thus forms an effective cushion, and the pheasant's head 

 cannot come in contact with the wood. The other and more common expedient is to 

 fasten burlap rather loosely directly below the slats, and fill the slack between with 

 straw. 



