66 Aviary Pheasants. 



and otherwise encouraging the hens intended to rear 

 the pheasants to lay in them, and, as soon as one of 

 them is wishing to sit, substituting pheasant eggs for 

 her own. I cannot suggest any more natural plan. 

 She will then come off and return as Nature prompts 

 her, and will require only to be shut in and protected 

 just as the eggs are due to hatch. No turning, no 

 sprinkling, nothing required : Nature will do all. 



Hatching has been fully treated in Chapter III. 

 When the birds are fit to remove to the field, the coops 

 which should have been ready placed for the hens 

 on properly-selected ground will at once receive them. 

 Nothing is better than good old grass well-drained, 

 of course. No cattle must be allowed in the meadow, 

 and care must be taken that they cannot get in, or 

 vast mischief will soon arise. Lucerne is even prefer- 

 able to grass ; but both must be kept well cut, so as 

 to leave open spaces for the coops ; and the same 

 applies to clover. 



I must repeat my caution with regard to looking 

 after the young birds when they are let out of the 

 coop for the first time ; they are so silly, they rush 

 out with head erect, wander off, and are lost because 

 they do not know the hen's call and some hens have 

 but very little voice. At first it is certainly best to 

 inclose the coop with a few yards of fine netting, so 

 that the chicks cannot get into the long grass and 

 be lost. This will only be required for the first few 

 days ; when once they know the hen's call, they will 

 come back to her. 



