20 Aviary Pheasants. 



The cross mentioned above is of a fair size, yet 

 light, and keeps a long time with the young birds. 

 It entirely depends on the variety of eggs how many 

 you should set ; if a large sort, like Reeves', select 

 a larger hen than for small, like the Gold. Under 

 her put from eleven to thirteen eggs. I dislike large 

 broods ; the small hens cannot cover them when they 

 get any size, and you have much trouble to count 

 them at night when you shut them in. Therefore, 

 select the hens and eggs proportionately to each 

 other. 



During the laying season, it is well at times to 

 supply fresh gravel, old mortar, or ashes ; the birds 

 must have material of which to make the shells. Put 

 a little iron tonic (Douglas' mixture) in the water 

 once a week, and be sure the birds are well supplied 

 with clean, hard water. By gentle treatment, and 

 feeding with little delicacies (such as lettuce or a few 

 hemp seeds), they will learn to eat from the hand; 

 this tameness adds greatly to the pleasure of keep- 

 ing birds. Wild birds dashing themselves against the 

 -wires run great risk of being killed, in addition to 

 spoiling their plumage. 



Treatment of Sitting Hens. You will always find 

 a fowl that steals her nest do better than one you set, 

 because she strictly follows Nature ; we must, therefore, 

 follow Nature as closely as possible if we wish for 

 success. You can set the hen either in a sitting-box 

 (Figs. 4 and 5), or in a bottomless box, having three 

 sides high, and the fourth low, so that the hen may 



