170 PHEASANTS 



In most places, however, the pheasants 

 will find many other ways to go, if the 

 flushing spot be not thick enough to give 

 the false impression to the hunted bird of 

 being safe sanctuary till the danger be 

 past. Dense under-cover is essential too 

 for keeping the birds from all rising to- 

 gether in a cloud when the first one takes 

 wing, instead of squatting close and being 

 flushed one by one. 



Artificial thickening of flushing spots 

 has been dealt with in another chapter ; 

 we have here only to deal with the 

 alternative method — far more satisfactory 

 in every way — of providing natural under- 

 cover, which, although differing somewhat 

 in its nature, is equally essential to the 

 well-being of both woods that pheasants 

 are to live in, and coverts from which 

 they are to be shot. 



It is naturally only a rare instance in 

 which ground can be regularly laid out 

 for covert-shooting, and each wood planned 

 and planted in relation to the rest ; the 

 usual problem is rather how to adapt and 



