42



Y. Malisoux—Must Pheasants Roost ?



went on living in the same aviary for several years. I heard also of a

well-known French fancier who absolutely spoilt his Argus cock by

frostbite, the bird becoming infertile owing to a stiff joint ; otherwise

it was very healthy. This same fancier has since thought it necessary

to house all his Firebacks in the South of France.


In the meantime I was enjoying my own experiences and at my

own expense. My first rare Pheasants were of a delicate nature, viz.

Siamese Firebacks. I did not think they were delicate, there were

many things I did not know at that time. These birds were at least

four years old and the hen had never laid. I had seen them the previous

summer in the aviaries owned by'the person from whom I obtained

them. He kept them in a pen, part of which was an open greenhouse,

where the birds were in the habit of roosting, the rest being open.

January and February were bitterly cold months that year. The pair

were sent to me in March. It was still freezing ; the cock was tolerable,

being only a little bitten with frost in its pads. But the hen would not

move unless frightened into a walk. The tip of each toe was missing,

but whether this was old or fresh frostbite I could not say, for I was too

much of a novice. The cock’s wattles were grey and the hen’s facial

skin was violet ; in fact, two poor specimens. I was in my innocence

expecting them to breed, naturally in vain. Not once did the cock

display to its mate ; not once did he drum his wings or blow his wattles

out. Once or twice only did he bully his hen, and that was in the month

of September and then a mere peck on its head, and at this time the

latter was walking about almost fully recovered from its stiffness.

Now, in the meantime, my mind had been busy. Why was it that the

toes of the Diardi were affected and also the Argus ? Why not the

lungs, intestines, and tender fleshy wattles that are not hardened

through constant contact with soil, mud, etc. Why the toes only ?

Indeed, I was puzzled. I surmised : “ The body is heavily feathered,

the head is plunged into these feathers during sleep. The toes alone

gripping the roost, remain bare, for squatting during these sleeping

hours she protects the rest of the foot. Whether they freeze because

unprotected or because tender is immaterial. The point is to keep

them warm.” And we tried. We commissioned the village carpenter

to make a cubic wooden box or shelter with good fitting boards, about



