OTHER ANIMALS 647 



tainties attendant on hatching the eggs and raising the young are 

 such that it is probably cheaper to secure full-grown birds at the out- 

 set. If eggs are to be tried, they should be ordered in January or 

 February, to be delivered in April or May. They should be placed 

 under the hen as soon as possible. 



Pheasants may be obtained from reputable dealers, of which 

 there are a score or more in the United States and Canada, or they 

 may be imported from Europe or Asia. If stock be imported, trouble 

 may be saved by securing it through experienced and reliable bird 

 importers, who are familiar with the business. A pen should be pro- 

 vided and supplied with food and water. On the arrival of the birds 

 the crate should be placed in the pen, an opening should be made in 

 the crate (preferably in the evening) sufficient to allow the birds to 

 escape one at a time, and the attendant should withdraw, leaving the 

 birds to find their way out alone. For the first few days they should 

 be disturbed as little as possible. 



Prices. The prices of pheasants vary with the season. They 

 are lowest at the close of the breeding season and increase gradually 

 until the next. They vary also according to the dealer; but so many 

 things are to be considered, such as purity of stock, freedom from 

 disease, care in shipment, and other details, that the lowest prices do 

 not always mean the cheapest birds. English ringneck pheasants are 

 least expensive about $5 a pair. English pheasants and ringnecks 

 (the pure-blooded birds) cost a little more; Reeves and versicolor 

 pheasants, about $18 a pair; and Mongolian, $40. Of the more 

 common aviary birds golden and silver pheasants are the cheapest, 

 at about $12 per pair; next in price are the Lady Amherst and 

 Reeves, which retail at about $18 or $20 a pair, while others range 

 from this price up to $150 or $200 a pair. These prices are only ap- 

 proximate, and serve merely to give an idea of the relative values of 

 the birds mentioned. 



Pens. Any well-drained ground is suitable for pheasant pens, 

 but a gentle slope of sandy loam, comparatively cool in midsummer, 

 furnishes ideal conditions. Clay is the poorest soil for the purpose, 

 as it is likely to foster diseases. The pens should be provided with 

 plenty of both sunshine and shade. They should be constructed of 

 chicken wire, like ordinary poultry runs. Each pen should cover at 

 least 100 square feet, more if possible; contracted quarters induce 

 disease and afford their timid occupants too little protection from 

 alarms. The pen should be from 6 to 8 feet high, and should be 

 inclosed above with wire. If the pheasants are likely to be disturbed 

 much, cord netting should be stretched 6 inches or more below the 

 top wire, to prevent the birds from injuring themselves by flying 

 violently against the top, as they are apt to do when frightened. 



The pens and sheds should be kept scrupulously clean. There 

 is no more fruitful source of disease among pheasants than unclean- 

 liness. As has been aptly said, the pheasant pen should be ko]>t as 

 neat and clean as the front dooryard. Nevertheless chips and twigs 

 may be scattered about to attract insects, and boughs for shelter 

 should not be omitted. Each pen should be thoroughly spaded and 



