160 G. Beever—Some Bemarks on Pheasants and Other Birds


A club could also arrange for classes for Pheasants at some of the

agricultural shows. There is a class still included in the schedule of

the Crystal Palace Bird Show, but Pheasants cannot be shown in

cages ; they require small movable pens for the purpose. There would

be no difficulty in showing Goldens, Amhersts, and the various Kaleeges

as these birds are generally very tame. There are several shows in

the U.S.A. that include classes for fancy Pheasants. I have seen

Golden Pheasants in small aviaries exhibited at the Ideal Homes

Exhibition at the Olympia and they appeared quite at home.


I made an interesting experiment last May when I conducted

a party of naturalists round Captain Hopkins’s and Paul Lambert’s

aviaries at Kirby Moorside and Nawton. Most of these people had

never seen Pheasants of the fancy varieties before so they were com¬

pletely unbiased. I drew up a list of about twenty species and asked

them to vote on which they considered the most beautiful. I have

mentioned in previous articles that I always counted the Amherst

cock number one, not solely on account of his striking colouring but'

because I consider him the most perfectly shaped bird in existence.

However, the voting came out something like this : 1, Satyr Tragopan ;

2, Amherst; 3, Golden ; 4, Peacock Pheasant; 5, Swinhoe ; 6, Beeves.

.1 do not think anyone can quarrel with this selection. I might say

that when I saw the Chinquis Peacock Pheasant at close quarters for

the first time with the sun lighting up those wonderful ocelli, I was

really taken aback by his quiet but beautiful plumage.


As regards this list, I should replace the Swinhoe by the Edwards.

The cock of the latter in plumage appears to be a perfect article, being

of an even metallic lustre all over, whereas the Swinhoe does not appear

completely finished, owing to parts of the wings being without lustre.


I am afraid some pheasants at Begent’s Park are affected by the

heavy deposit of London soot and can never appear as bright as those

kept a long way from industrial centres. Strange to say the Blue

Peacocks do not seem to be affected by the soot, as those in London

appear to be as bright and sheeny as those kept in the country.


There is no disputing the fact that the Satyr Tragopan cock is a

really wonderfully coloured bird. His plumage is brilliant but not

gaudy. I hear Captain Hopkins has now a Temminck cock which



