HEWITT ON GOLDEN PHEASANTS. 195 



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 allowed 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 of the legs or wing, for injury is 

 certain to ensue; but take up the bird with both hands 

 tightly round the body over the wings. This is the only safe 

 way of capture, and they then may be taken about without 

 injury at all, either to their plumage or to themselves. 



"I would advise aviaries for their accommodation to be 

 covered in entirely from the rain, as nothing tends so much 

 to keep them in perfect feather ; and then it will not be by- 

 any_ means difficult to guard them against another great 

 annoyance — ^that of cats prowling about during the night and 

 at twilight. From this cause numbers of pheasants of either 

 kind have been destroyed, not from an actual hurt received 

 from the cat, but from the birds in their fright flying 

 furiously against the roof or the wirework, and scalping 

 themselves. This may be prevented by letting a ' tar-sheet ' 

 be fixed closely every night, to cover the whole of the open 

 work of the aviary. It has this double service : it prevents 

 sudden rain wetting the sanded floor and causing damp 

 (producing rheumatism in the inmates), and by being opaque 

 prevents the shadow of passing cats being seen ; for if they 

 see cats at night the birds will fly, and thus seriously damage 

 themselves. I found simple canvas for this purpose of no use 

 whatever, being semi-transparent; the tar-sheet is effective 

 from its density. It is on moonlight nights that the greatest 



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