Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-21
BEAUTIES IN PRISON.
All Kinds of Feathered Creatures in
an Oakland Aviary.
TRIUMPHS OF A BIRD FANCIER.
A Brood Of Ring Neck Pheasants Raised
Through the Mails.
THE DoMEsTIcATION OF THE QUAIL
WRITTEN FOE THE DrspArcH.j

WRITTEN FOE THE DISPATCH.1
A citizen of Oakland who has mania for
birds, and particularly for the domestication
and breeding of pheasants, invited DIS
PATCH reporter recently to his domicile,
and opened up hitherto unknown world.
My friend calls himself a bird crank, and
says he came honestly by the name, having
inherited the passion for tanning birds in
the Island of Barbados, where he was born,
and where the feathered tribes reach their
perfection. His ancestry located on this
island many generations ago.
Alter chasing fortune over half the world
this gentleman landed few years ago in
Pittsburg, and has made for himself home
close to Schenley Park. Nature took its
course, and among the very first things ne
provided tor was an aviary. With wife
in entire sympathy with the bird mania,
my friend, whose modesty forbids mention
of his name, finds continual delight in
familiarizing himself with the habits Of the
feathered tribe. He makes the wants and
habits of birds study, and there are few
higher up onsthis subject in the city.
TREASURES IN HIS AvIARY.
In his large and commodious av1ary is a
collection selected with much care and pains.
The birds of North America, or those that
reach these latitudes. are represented by
grosbeaks, orioles, ground thrush, bin, cat
bird, redbird, American cuckoo, bluebirds,
bobolinks, tanninger, nonpariel, etc. The
finch family is represented by goldinch,
bullfnch, chafinch, bishop finch, zebra
finch, silver beak finch, blackhead nuns and
strawberry finch, the smallest of all reed
birds, etc. The English song birds are well
represented by the startling, lark, linnet,
thrush and canary. The foreign birds are
also represented by six varieties of paro-
quets from different countries, Pekin night
ingales, Java sparrows, cardinals, troupials,
etc.
But this enthusiasts special hobby is the
domestication and breeding of game or wild
birds. OF the pheasant family there are
three distinct varieties, and the golden
pheasant stands first in the list. The pre-
dominant colors of the golden pheasant are
scarlet and, as its name indicates, gold.
The crest is of pure gold and rests on man
tie of scarlet, striped with black. The
breast is entirely scarlet The tail is 2%
feet in length. Ny friend is partial to one
particular golden pheasant in his aviary,
and it certainly is bird of rarest beauty.
A description of its charms is out of the
question. Eden certainly had nothing
more beautiful among its feathered popula-
ton. The silver pheasant has crest Of
blue and black and back of silver.
HATCHING EGGS BY MAIL.
The Mongolian or Chinese ring neck
pheasants were introduced into Oregon
about ID years ago, and stringent law was
passed by the Legislature of that State for
hair nv Tharr 81
when caught, will often kill themselves in
their efforts to escape, but such trifles did
not discourage my friend. He imported the
eggs from Oregon and set them, but the
transportation had destroyed the germ OF the
eggs. Even this did not battle him. He
had the eggs set in Oregon and raised them
on food and Instructions sent by mail from
Pittsburg. He has been rewarded with
pair of young ones, the first that has ever
reached here, and he hopes to breed from
them next spring.
Many authorities claim that the quail
cannot be raised in captivity, but this theory
is exploded by my Oakland friend. A week
ago number of the young quails of his avi-
ary managed to get outside of their prison.
On his arrival home he went forth to cap
ture the wanderers, and had no trouble in SO
doing. At his call they gathered about
him even more promptly than domestic
fowls will, and In few minutes they were
safely housed. Within few days a new
brood of quails has been Matched out to the
number of 10, making Is in the aviary.
SoNGsTERs IN PLENTY.
As to canaries and mocking birds, every
variety known is to be found upstairs and
downstairs and in the lady's chamber.
Home and grounds are entirely given up to
the denizens of the air. On last Sunday
catbird was attracted to the neignborhood
of the aviary, and few minutes after his
with the other birds was heard
by the lady of the house he was trapped and
made to join the family for domestcation.
To entertain this interesting collection
there is clown in the shape of pet crow,
which was presented to my friend by an
other bird crank in Ohio. He answers to
the name of Jim, and roams about the place
at will, full of all kinds of tricks. He is a
terror to all the chickens but one, an
orphan chicken, raised BY hand from the |
shell. Over this orphan chicken Master |
Jim has extended his patronage. He fol- |
lows him around and offers him food after |
he himself has supplied the demands of |
nature. Jim was guilty of numbering a |
,hicken this week, and his mistress gave |
nim good switching. Ever since he beats |
1 mastery retreat at the first sight of a |
tick or switch in the lady's hand
J. H. YOUNG.