Ornamental Pheasant Society Notes



361



I never saw the full display of Bulwer’s Pheasant. Our bird got

as far as puffing out his blue wattles and letting them hang down like

long blue ear-rings. He spread his magnificent tail sideways, and

drooped his wings, standing in front of his hen, but unfortunately

a boy passed in front of the pen, and the Pheasant would not do any

more. The hen spent some time in a box fixed high up in the shelter,

and we hoped for eggs, but nothing happened.


E. F. C.



ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT SOCIETY NOTES


There has been a certain amount of criticism regarding the attitude

taken by the O.P.S. towards showing Pheasants. It has been argued

that these birds are not suitable for such purposes and suffer from

being thus exposed to “ the vulgar gaze ”. This criticism is rapidly

dying down for just the one reason that the arguments against showing

have proved utterly fallacious. At the Glasgow Show there were

forty-two entries, which we consider was excellent. I know of one

member who supported the section in no uncertain manner and every

Pheasant was returned none the worse for the double journey.

Mrs. Barrington, who is a keen exhibitor, wrote as follows : “I was

delighted to find how well the Pheasants travelled in the new O.P.S.

pens, not a feather out of place.” I was at the Glasgow Show for the

two days and with the exception of one unruly specimen the Pheasants

seemed quite unperturbed and by no means unhappy. One cock in

particular seemed to revel in the attention bestowed upon it and was

continually putting its head through the bars and letting forth its

weird call and delighted in the titbits that were passed to it, not even

refusing a piece of Edinburgh Rock. I will state most emphatically

that the Pheasant section caused as much interest, if not more, than

any other section at the Show. A magnificent Reeve’s cock with an

amazing tail length was perhaps the centre of attraction; that cock

had not one single feather out of place and surely this is remarkable

in such a long-tailed species. It is possibly surprising that Pheasants

should adapt themselves so rapidly to such strange conditions, but they

certainly do. Heedless to say, I was asked some strange questions



