154 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



ACCOUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF FOOD REQUIRED BY FULL- 

 GROWN PHEASANTS ON A FAIRLY FAVOURABLE ESTATE 

 FOR GAME 



It will be useful for a game preserver to know how 

 much artificial food should be thrown on the ground 

 each day for every 100 full-grown pheasants. This, 

 of course, varies in different localities. It requires, 

 as before pointed out, a greater weight of corn to be 

 put down in coverts surrounded by grass land than it 

 does in coverts surrounded by tillage. As a basis to 

 start from in making the calculation, I have ascer- 

 tained by actual measure that it takes 14 Ibs. of Indian 

 corn per day to feed 100 pheasants in an aviary. 

 Though pheasants require more corn in confinement 

 than when wild in the woods, where they pick up a 

 quantity of natural food, such as insects, berries, 

 acorns, corn off the stubbles, &c.. there is, however, 

 no waste of food in the aviary as there is in the 

 coverts, where it is eaten by woodpigeons, rats, 

 squirrels, waterhens, small birds, and even rabbits. 



The gain and loss would probably counterbalance 

 each other ; hence I assume it would be necessary to put 

 down 14 Ibs. (i.e. a stone) of corn a day for each 100 

 pheasants in the coverts. Taking the price of Indian 

 corn at 13s. a sack of 240 Ibs., the cost of 14 Ibs. would 

 be a small fraction above 9<i. for 100 pheasants each 

 day; or, including the fraction, 5s. 4t?.a week, II. 3s. \d. 

 a month, and 13/. 17s. a year. This gives the cost of 



