ii. PHEASANT REARING (PART /) 27 



stocked by the simple process of leaving a good pro- 

 portion of hen birds at the close of each shooting 

 season to lay reliable eggs the ensuing spring for the 

 keepers to collect and rear from at home. 



I have made many experiments in the way of 

 obtaining good eggs, and, provided you can manage 

 to do so, I am positive you will find no plan so simple 

 and inexpensive, or so certain to produce strong birds 

 and large hatchings, as gathering eggs from the wild 

 nests on your own land. 



HOW TO TAKE THE EGGS FKOM THE WILD NESTS 



Do not seek the wild-laid eggs till about April 20 

 (or a little earlier in the south), as you should not 

 disturb the birds by searching for their nests till they 

 have started laying with some persistence. 



You will find the eggs in all manner of odd as 

 well as likely places in ditches and on banks within 

 a few yards of high roads, but more commonly in 

 hedge bottoms, and among the undergrowth of the 

 woods, as well as in tufts of grass or in dry fern and 

 bracken. 



Always look for eggs and pick them up first round 

 your boundary, where danger most lies, and gradually 

 work the ground inwards, finishing up with the woods 

 last ; then, when a regular first search has been made, 

 repeat the same process again. 



