vii. PHEASANT REARING (PART F7) 119 



will excitedly trample about in their coops and pro- 

 bably tread on and injure some of their chicks if these 

 are small. 



Feed the hens once a day on large Indian corn, 

 and to keep them cool allow a feed of scalded coarse 

 meal now and then. 



ON GIVING WATER TO YOUNG PHEASANTS 



It is all very well to say pheasants are fond of 

 water ; perhaps they are, but they can do without it 

 nevertheless ; in the same way ice could dispense 

 with many luxuries that, had we not learned to re- 

 libh them, we should not consider necessary to our 

 existence. 



I know many parts of England so dry, whether 

 from sand or chalk, that I do not believe the pheasants 

 in these localities ever procure a drink of water other 

 than what they obtain off the grass and leaves sub- 

 sequent to a shower of rain or rise of dew. 



Of course when running water is present in a 

 district the pheasants stray (no good thing either) to 

 it to drink, as is only natural ; but if the water is un- 

 obtainable the birds soon find some other means of 

 quenching their thirst, in hot weather, chiefly from 

 the dew which is then usually abundant. 



So long as young birds reared by hand are fed on 

 soft food, though but once a day, they will certainly 



