Ornamental Pheasant Society Notes



81



it was up to me to do my best. I put the little fellows into a small

aviary inhabited by a flock of Zebra Finches. I could keep an eye on

the feeding, which at first consisted of hard-boiled egg chopped up with

fine biscuit meal and boiled rice which, with a few earthworms and

mealworms, they took to at once, never looking back, very much to

my surprise.


After a week or two I gradually introduced the ordinary insect

food mixed with boiled rice, grated carrot, etc., and dropped the egg,

substituting very finely minced raw heart. This they get three times

a week and now I am giving them a little of the scalded Spillers biscuit

meal as well. They are very dainty little birds and most interesting

to watch as they are quite tame, running about nodding their heads

backwards and forwards, sometimes standing on one leg in true wader

fashion or giving their plaintive little whistle.


It is a great pity Waders are so difficult to get nowadays, they

are really not so hard to feed and to me they are about the most

interesting aviary birds we have. Perhaps it is because I have always

loved to w~atch them in their wild state, and as for their nests and

eggs there is nothing more beautiful in nature.



ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT SOCIETY NOTES


An account of the Pheasant section at the Palace Show was given

in last month’s Magazine and there is little need for further comment.

The general public showed a keen appreciation of these birds and the

special lighting showed a great improvement on that prevailing last

year. I must mention one remarkable exhibit. A Chinquis Peacock

Pheasant of quite recent importation was one of the steadiest Pheasants

on view, it gained the first prize in its class and was awarded the special

prize for the best Pheasant exhibited. Surely this finally proves that

Pheasants can be exhibited with safety and honour to the Society.

The O.P.S. Annual General Meeting was attended by sixty-seven

members, and we considered this number most satisfactory. Mr. Balfour

was elected to the Chair in the absence of M. Delacour: his chairmanship


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