218 J. Carlton Hunting—Notes on Bornean Fireback Pheasant


Splendid news from Mr. Hampe that Golden Pheasants are still

comparatively common in their native clime.


What a delightful series of Pheasant articles we had from the

pen of Monsieur Delacour last year. Our Editor frequently gives us

some delightful little paragraphs on small birds ; I am sure he could

sometimes give us a few notes on Pheasants. Should any member

desire to keep a few Pheasants I wish they would write me ; what little

knowledge I have is at the disposal of any member who cares to write.

Although, as Mr. Beever truthfully says, they are delightfully easy

birds to keep, have extremely small appetites, and are a constant

source of pleasure.



NOTES ON BORNEAN FIREBACK PHEASANT

CHICKS AT THE GAYBIRD PHEASANT FARM,

GREAT MISSENDEN


By J. Carlton Hunting


We have been, this year, for the first time successful in obtaining

fertile eggs from a pair of Bornean Crested Fireback Pheasants (Lophura

ignita) and hatching out chicks from them. The pair were strong

specimens, bred in 1930, and like all our other Pheasants during the

whole year live in open pens with small lean-to shelters. They mated

about 1st April and we had our first egg from them on the 24th May.

There were ten eggs in all, similar in size, colour, and shape to an

ordinary 1J oz. hen’s egg but the shells are hard and with a particularly

smooth and shiny surface. The hen laid irregularly, sometimes every

day, but at other times missing one, two, and three days without

laying, and ceased laying and wanted to sit after producing her tenth

egg. We had, however, taken the eggs away as they were laid and

substituted dummies.


The first two eggs set on the 31st May were fertile but the chicks

were dead-in-shell. On 8th June we set four more eggs under a cross¬

bred Silky-bantam and in twenty-four days hatched out three chicks,

the fourth egg having a chick dead-in-shell. One of the three chicks

however, was very weak and almost from the first showed signs of

debility by hanging its wings and not being nearly as lively as the other



