THE GOLDEN PHEASANT. 223 



would instead roost in tlio oi:)eiL air. The females will lay 

 about twenty-five eggs each ia the aviary. 1 always pro- 

 vided them with l.)askets to hiy in, which they only some- 

 times uiade use of; they take twenty-four days to hatch. 

 The you[jg- cocks d(j not attain their full plumage until after 

 the moult of the second summer; tliey drop their chicken 

 feathers when about three months oM ; their plumage is then 

 something like the heu's^ but sutfieiently In-ight in s(jme parts 

 as easily to distinguish them from the young fenniles. In 

 general there are more cocks than hens. 



" If the cock birds are placed in a pijrtion of the aviary 

 apai-t from hens, au}- numljer may be kept together. I have 

 had as many as twelve males in full ])luuiat:'e together, and 

 when duiing the summei' (and indeeil at ad times) these 

 beautiful birds were going through the very curious and 

 fanciful attitudes and matueuvres peculiar to them, it was nne 

 of the most brilliaid- sights to be obser\'ed in miture. 'J'he 

 fla'^liing of tlieir various golden, crims(ui, Ijlue, and pjurple 

 plumes in diffi-rent lights was absoluiely d;i/,/,liiig to the eye, 

 and at these times they cmitrive to display all tlie most 

 beautiful parts nf their jiluuiage to the utmost advaniaue; 

 the golden ci'est is raised, the splendid orange and pur}")le 

 ti|)ped collar is spread out to its full e.\tent, while the scarlet 

 tad coverts are shown in all their beauty. Daring the whole 

 time the lairds are leaping and dancing round each other, and 

 uttering occasionallv their pi'culuir shrill cry." 



^Ir. Thompson states that he lius ne\-er known the Golden 

 Pheasant to live loiigLU- than ten nv eleven years, and tliat 

 those which came under his icnowledge " died almost instanta- 

 neottsly, and when in the highest po.-siljle condition as to 

 ilesh and plumage," death Ijeing ajiparentl^,' induced liy high 

 condition and over-fatness. 



Respecting their management in aviaries still more con- 

 fined for space, my friend the late Mr. Ed. Hewitt kindly 

 gave me the following notes : 



" As I kept the GoldenTlieasants many years with success,a 



