PHEASANT EEARING. 177 



time. In our absence once a man let the hens 

 go back as soon as they had fed, and spoilt 

 nearly every egg. Eggs must be thoroughly 

 cooled each day. 



Five hundred or a thousand pheasants reared 

 by hand is a great success, but we are sure the 

 expense is often double what it need be. We 

 should hke to know how many hen pheasants 

 produced the eggs, and how many eggs were 

 required to hatch these birds, before allowing 

 that it was really well done. Keepers are not 

 often inclined to go into these details, and they 

 seldom put down on paper what eggs they use. 

 This plan of out-door hatching may be adopted 

 in many places, though we do not haj)pen to 

 have seen it, or to have heard it recommended. 

 We do not think any who try it will go back to 

 the old plan. We should mention that the slid- 

 ing door is left open after the hens go on, on 

 purpose to allow any hen who is getting tired 

 of the work to show that she is so by coming oiF 

 a second time ; and they are watched as much 



