Correspondence



63



A WARNING


In your issue of January in a very interesting article upon “ The Culture

of Ornamental Pheasants ”, Mr. P. J. Lambert says that it has been found

generally 4 4 that Pheasants are most friendly creatures and live happily with

small birds and in no way interfere with the other occupants of the aviary


No doubt Mr. Lambert has very good grounds for saying this, but, though

cases of the contrary may be so rare as to be hardly more than proof of his

rule, they are apt to be so painful that their existence should not be forgotten.


In your own experience and mine a cock Peacock Pheasant shared for

months blamelessly an aviary that included a cock Elliott’s Pitta that was,

I believe, the first of his wonderful race that ever came to this country and

extraordinarily beautiful, even for a Pitta. At all events, he was a very great

treasure, and time has hardly dulled the pang with which I heard that the

Pheasant had murdered him.


I think that to any advice that weaker birds can be kept safely with

Pheasants should be added the rider that there is risk enough to make it unwise

to let the fellow-lodger be any great treasure and especially any bird that lives

likewise chiefly on the ground.


J. Sped an Lewis.



AVICULTURE


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