26 PHASIANID.E. 



in the aviary, to pinion them, which is done by cutting off rather 

 more than the first joint of the wing, having previously by means 

 of a needle and thread inserted close to the small wing-bone, and 

 brought round the large one, just within the skin, taken up the 

 main blood-vessels ; the piece of the wing is then chopped off on a 

 block : there is no loss of blood, and I never could observe that the 

 birds seemed to suffer in the slightest degree afterwards, although the 

 operation I dare say was painful enough. My reason for taking off 

 rather more than the first joint of the wing was, because I found that 

 if only the first joint was taken off, the birds were always able, when 

 grown up, to get out of the aviary, which was about twelve feet high ; 

 and I found it thus requisite to take off so much as to render them 

 incapable of any attempt at flying, but left enough remaining to enable 

 them to reach their roosting place at night. I furnished them with a 

 kind of ladder, by nailing cross pieces of wood on a long piece about 

 three inches wide, and which they very soon learned to walk up and 

 down with facility. One aviary in which I kept some, had a back wall 

 to it covered with old ivy, and they preferred roosting in this ; indeed 

 I always found, that although during a wet day those which were at 

 liberty took shelter under a roof, yet at night they woidd not do so, but 

 would instead roost in the open air. The females will lay about 

 twenty-five eggs each in the aviary. I always provided them with 

 baskets to lay in, which they only sometimes made use of : they take 

 twenty-four days to hatch. The young cocks do not attain their full 

 plumage until after the moult of the second summer ; they drop their 

 chicken feathers when about three months old ; their plumage is then 

 something hke the hen's, but sufficiently bright in some parts as easily 

 to distinguish them from the young females ; in general there are more 

 cocks than hens. If the cock birds are placed in a portion of the 

 aviary apart from hens, any number may be kept together. I have had 

 so many as twelve males in full plumage together, and when during the 

 summer (and indeed at all times) these beautiful birds were going 

 through the very curious and fanciful attitudes and manoeuvres peculiar 

 to them, it was one of the most brilliant sights to be observed in nature. 

 The flashing of then various golden, crimson, blue, and purple plumes 

 in different lights was absolutely dazzling to the eye, and at these 

 times they contrive to display all the most' beautiful parts of their 

 plumage to the utmost advantage ; the golden crest is raised ; the 



