PHEASANTRY EGGS VERSUS WILD ONES 



exact whereabouts is quite a mystery. This is a pair of 

 Pheasants as nearly approaching their wild state as they 

 possibly can in our country. When the nest is found it is 

 often quite unexpectedly, and generally in or near the 

 boundary fence, or in some remote part of the estate. There 

 are often seventeen eggs or even more in the nest, and what 

 eggs they are ! The keeper has no fear of carrying them a 

 matter of 3 miles in his pockets ; the shells are almost 

 as hard as guinea-fowls' eggs. They then prove 100 per 

 cent, fertile, and 95 per cent, hatch off in many cases. As 

 for the chicks, look round the coops in a few days' time and 

 see their wild nature ; even at so young an age they are 

 fully developed, and when confined to the guards they would, 

 if startled, kill themselves in an endeavour to rush quickly to 

 cover. True offspring of their parents, days after, take a 

 walk round the rearing-field with the keeper, and he may 

 point out to you certain very smart skulking birds amongst 

 the rest, which you would quite have failed to see, with the 

 remark, ' That is a wild bird. ..." ' There is another, I can 

 tell 'em by their legs.' What a pity they are so scarce ! Of 

 course, from a rearing point of view, it is quite impossible to 

 have these eggs to take the place of pheasantry eggs, as 

 there are so many points to be considered, and at present we 

 are only dealing with the merits of the eggs. Modern egg- 

 producing, under the most scientific system, has failed as yet 

 to give an egg equal to these. But this is the kind of egg 

 aimed at, and wanted." 



From the foregoing essays it will be gleaned that the two 

 writers are diametrically opposed in their views, the former 

 advocating penned Pheasant eggs as being the best, and he 

 clearly states his reasons to substantiate his dictum ; on the 

 other hand Phuler argues that wild eggs give the most 



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