20 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



LETTER II 

 PHEASANT BEARING (PART I) 



SOME OF THE BEASONS WHY WE ARE OBLIGED TO 

 REAR PHEASANTS ARTIFICIALLY 



IF pheasants were not artificially reared, there would 

 soon be an end of them ; for, of all birds, none are 

 such wretchedly bad mothers. A hen pheasant will 

 lay plenty of eggs, and will nearly always hatch them 

 well ; then in a day or two off she sets for a stroll, 

 with her family straggling after her, perhaps through 

 long wet grass or corn, which soon reduces her brood 

 by one or two ; next she comes to a ditch, and here 

 she leaves two or three hopelessly bogged ; yet on she 

 marches, without giving them a thought. Now it is 

 a wall or fence ; over she pops, and yet a few more 

 of her chicks are unable to follow, though so long as 

 she has one of her progeny squeaking after her, she 

 will evince no solicitude at the loss of the rest. In 

 the course of a week, instead of a fine lot of ten, it 

 is likely enough the typical hen pheasant has but a 

 couple left ; if these are lost, she prepares a new nest 

 with care, lays again, sits diligently, hatches success- 



