THE GOLDEN PHEASANT. 117 



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 would 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 like 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 their various golden, crimson, blue, and purple plumes in 

 different lights was absolutely dazzling to the eye, and at these times they contrive 

 to display aU the most beautiful parts of their plumage to the utmost advantage; 

 the golden crest is raised; the splendid orange and purple-tipped coUar is spread 

 out to its fuU extent, while the scarlet tail coverts are shown in all their beauty. 

 During the whole time the birds are leaping and dancing round each other, and 

 uttering occasionally their peculiar shrill cry." 



Mr. Thompson states that he has never known the Golden Pheasant to live 

 longer than ten or eleven years, and that such as came under his knowledge "died 

 almost instantaneously, and when in the highest possible condition as to flesh and 

 plumage," the cause of death being evidently induced by high condition and over 

 fatness. 



Eespecting their management in aviaries still more confined for space, my 

 late friend Mr. Ed. Hewitt kindly gave me the following notes :— 



"As I kept Golden Pheasants many years with success, a few hints may, to 

 beginners, be acceptable. They may with proper care be reared perfectly tame, but 

 have always a tendency to be alarmed at the sudden appearance of strange dogs, 

 cats, or even individuals; for which reason I think it advisable they should be 

 pinioned if aUowed an out-of-door run, lest they may be tempted to fly away, or 

 on to the surrounding buildings ; for, unlike common poultry, they are only tempted 

 to return with great difficulty, as the moment they get from their accustomed range 

 they seem as wild and uncontrollable as birds reared in a state of nature. Pinioning 

 can be easily managed without the slightest detriment to the appearance of the 

 bird. Let it, too, be always kept in mind, in handling pheasants never to lay hold 



