126



J. Delacour—American Aviculture



Monauls. He also possesses and breeds Koklass, Bheinartes, Argus,

Palawan and Bronze-tailed Polyplectron ; and I saw there a pair of

the rare Tetroaphasis thibetanus , a large Partridge from the high

mountains of Western China. The different species of Firebacks do

extremely well at Fair Oaks, and breed freely. Although Mr. Smith is

endeavouring to make his collection pay through breeding, he is a

most genuine and enthusiastic bird lover. I greatly enjoyed the few

days I spent in his hospitable ranch.


My host drove me about the district for several days, and we visited

together a number of interesting Came farms, without speaking of such

wonderful mountain scenery as Lake Tahoe. We saw, particularly, the

California State Game Farm at Napa, where thousands of Bing-necks

and Mongolian Pheasants, Quails, Chukors, some Amhersts, Goldens,

and Beeve’s, and Mexican Wild Turkeys are reared annually. Excellent

results are obtained with electric incubators and brooders, the latter

placed in houses connected to small outdoor pens with cement floors

covered with a couple of inches of sand. Mr. Bade, the superintendent,

was most hospitable, and gave me very useful information. We

also visited the aviaries of Mr. J. W. Steinbeck, who has a nice

selection of rare Pheasants and Doves at Stockton ; those of Mr. H. F.

Kangieser, at Menlo Park, where there are some good Pheasants and

excellent Doves, including many Mountain Witches and Kubary’s

Ground Pigeons, and some interesting Phabitreron from the Philippine

Islands, among others, as well as hybrids, Gallicolumba hubaryi X

G. rubescens. We also arrived just in time to see the aviaries,

numerous and extensive, and a few remnants of the Pheasant collection

of Mr. W. J. Jackson, who has just given up his hobby, a great pity

as he was most successful in breeding several rare species, including

Satyr, Temminck’s and Cabot’s Tragopans, Imperial, Edward’s, and

Mikado Pheasants, different Polyplectrons, Java, and Sonnerat’s

Junglefowl.


We paid a visit to Mr. S. H. Levin, who also was selling out his

large collection of Pheasants, Parrakeets, Pigeons, Waders, and small

birds. There were a dozen Victoria Crowned Pigeons, most of them

bred on the spot, as well as several Blue Porphyrios, a mixture of

the African, Indian, and Australian species. There were over 100



