NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 157 
ing birds of various kinds. Each bird in this aviary can at 
every moment of his life choose according to his needs from 
the following series of accommodations that are available 
to him: An open, sunlit yard, a storm shelter with an open 
front, or a closed room with one small door and a large 
window. 
This beautiful and generous installation, 240 feet long, 
with 48 runways, accommodates the true Pheasants of the 
world, the largest group of birds of the Pheasant Family 
(Phasianidae), which in turn is one of the grand divisions 
of the sportsman’s own Order Gallinae, or upland game- 
birds. Of the whole Order Gallinae,—which includes the 
Grouse, Ptarmigan, Partridges, Pheasants, Turkeys, Guinea- 
Fowls, Jungle Fowl, Quails, Brush-Turkeys, Curassows and 
Guans—the group of the Pheasants can justly claim the dis- 
tinction of possessing the most beautiful birds. Indeed, I 
think there is not to be found in the whole avian world a 
group of game birds all the members of which, taken species 
by species, are so gorgeously apparelled as these. 
In this brief notice of what is really one of the finest 
pheasant collections in the world, it is not possible to do 
more than direct the visitors’ attention to its chief items of 
interest. It must be stated well in advance, however, that 
these are birds of very shy and retiring habit, which owe 
their existence as species to the success with which they 
retreat from danger, and conceal themselves from man and 
beast. These birds must not be forced to spend all the day- 
light hours in their runways; for some of them could not 
long survive such exposure and excitement. To preserve 
their lives, and keep them in health, they must have the 
privilege of retiring into their shelters whenever they de- 
sire. But they roam in and out, and by the exercise of a 
little effort in returning to them, the interested visitor will 
find no great difficulty in seeing all the species. 
There are few species of pheasants whose members are 
sufficiently peace-loving that many individuals can be kept 
together without deadly combats. Of most species save the 
golden, silver and ring-neck, the cocks are so quarrelsome 
that even two can not be kept together; and this fact con- 
stitutes a handicap upon those whose duty it is to maintain 
the full strength of the exhibition. If a rare and quarrel- 
some male pheasant dies unexpectedly, it is not always pos- 
sible to fill the vacancy on short notice. 
Out of the half-dozen species which claim first place in 
an enumeration based on beauty and luxuriance of plum- 
