The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1899-10-27
DAVENPORT'S PHEASANTS

From the New York Journal:
Homer Davenport, the Journals car
toonist stood on the Red Star pier yea
terday afternoon and anxious'y watched
the operations Of several tugs that were
pushing the steamer Southwick into the
dock.
live come down 10 meet twenty-six
passengers" he said. "The, re not peo-
pie. Something better; they're pheas-
ants. When get them ou, to my home
in Jersey shall own the biggest and
hnest collections of pheasants in this
country"
The tall and quaint Oregcnian was GER
tainlJ the happiest man Who boarded
the vessel TO meet friends. lie chased
down a companionway and as II by in
stinct found the route 10 the birds and
satisfied himself that they were all right.
"Look at that Ternmichs lragopans, +"
the cartoonist cried enthusiastically,
pointing TO a gorgeous pheasant that
looked amiably at his new master. --
"Look at that whicq?" asked Il friend.
ooh, said Mr. Davenport, II suppose
10 you it's just pheasant, but 70 me it's
Ternmlchs 'rapopans, and the only one
| In this country. That other bird in the
same crate IL Mrs. +. r. Those birds
. live on the snow line OF the HimalayaI
! and drink leo water. You'll always fine
! them where the snow melts. / shall PM
{ IN ice water tank In their pen, bnt an
D afraid my Jersey home won't look thu
z same as India TO tnem.
!. "All these birds / secured from thi
j. Geological Society at Antwerp, and the,
A cost the large number Of pounds sterl
0 Ing and nine shi lings and eleven penc
three iarthings. now have twenty-tiv
varieties of phuasants. My biggest al
rival Is the Philapelphia Zoo, which ha
five.
Those beautiful birds Ia that othe
crate are the Argus pheasants. The
n come from the southern jungles oil Asis
}. THE Argus pheasant is b1chelo
70 bird. lie fts up for himself sort (
d stage where he does kind OF cake wal
% every day OF the year for the benefit
e the other birds. he has wings that wor
Is in kind Of socket, and now and agai
u his cake walk changes to calistheni
skirt dance. TO the great delight of hi
= teathered friends on the bleachers VIII
are taking it all in. At certain times {
IA the year he is baldheaded and has q blu
i cap"
"rhen," continued Mr.. Davenpor
there is the peacock pheasant Of whic
70 ! have pair, the only ones in the Ur
tied States. The hen lays two eggs an
y her chicks follow her in single file, shel
y teriug themselves under her parasol Ia
- specially designed by nature to proteC
them from the sun. When che strikes
y worm or anyi thing for them to eat sh
y puts IL ON the ground and makes for
10 steys forward. Being good judge {
distance calculates il So that whe
70 she stops the worm is exactly under III
10 parasol tail and che stands still until ht
babies have eaten it.
10 THAT crate there contains q pair I
IL vulture guinea fowls from Matabelelan
v that have faces like Mark Hanna, an
I'll bet they know lot about the Boz
"a situation il they could only tell j
n There are also couple OF spiciiers, {
q wild peacock, a pair OF malnoti trol
n Japan and many others.
Those peacock pheasants live in IL
low canyons OF Asia, in a sort OF steaI
heat. l have just ordered twenty tons
coal TO keep my birds warm this winter.