P. C. MacJcie—Visit to Professor Ghigi , Bologna 353


the writer away. But a room of greater interest was to follow—namely,

a room with the walls lined from floor to ceiling with large drawers

covered in glass, with each drawer labelled, viz.: “ Crossoptilons ”

—the drawer is opened and there are rows of stuffed Crossoptilons

showing the original Blue, Blue X Manchurian, 2nd cross, Blue X

Manchurian (almost as pure as the original Blue), and what a wealth

of material to show the effects of crossing various Kaleege : Kaleege X

Golden, generation after generation, hens indistinguishable from cocks

to this crossing, Beeves X Soemerings, showing two distinct types

of markings (particularly beautiful is this cross). “ Etc.,” said Professor

Ghigi—row upon row of unopened drawers and the writer had to be

again dragged away ! More drawers in another room with Butterflies

that Professor Ghigi had collected himself in South America—no

these notes could be far too copious surely !


With salutes and heel-clicking from attendants, we entered the car

and proceeded through the town up a beautiful hill-side to Professor

Ghigi’s delightful residence, where Mrs. Ghigi received us and served

us with tea which was never more welcome.


Professor Ghigi’s residence is one such as aviculturalists dream,

about—a beautiful creeper-covered court leads from the main hall and

contains two extremely fine aviaries housing small Finches in one and

a pair of tame Softbills (I forget these) and Quail in the other. The lawn

in front of the house has Ceylon Junglefowl and various Pheasants

running loose. Usually scores of growing Pheasants are hunting for

insects amongst the flower beds, but Professor Ghigi said that 1937

had been one of the worst years he has experienced for Pheasant rearing

owing to adverse climatic conditions. On the day of our visit he was

lamenting the loss of his hen Blyth’s Tragopan, and when we saw this

hen’s mate we could fully sympathize with his loss for we had never seen

a more magnificent specimen. From this pair he had a delightful chick,

now independent and in fine form.


Whilst we had been so favourably impressed at the Institute of

Zoology with the means of scientific study of all things ornithological,

it was at Professor Ghigi’s house that the writer appreciated the beautiful

surroundings for the Pheasants there maintained. A winding path

leads upwards from the house alongside a wooded glade, and along the



