68 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



round the end to make a head, and run the peg into the body. 

 Tie these imitations on the branches of larch trees here and 

 there. Pheasants prefer this kind of tree to others, in con- 

 sequence of the boughs coming out straight, and so allowing 

 them a level surface to sit on. In woods where there are 110 

 foxes, and where the ground vermin has been well killed 

 down, it is a good plan (especially if you think it a likely 

 night for poachers) to unroost the pheasants in the evening. 

 They will not fly up again that night. If you begin by 

 unroosting the pheasants when they are young, and have 

 only flown up a few nights, they will take to roosting on the 

 ground altogether, and never fly up at all. Pheasants that 

 have not been accustomed to be driven down at all are made 

 rather shy by the frequent repetition of this performance, and 

 it may drive them away. They are very easily frightened. 

 If you begin shooting rabbits, &c., they will take the alarm. 

 They cannot stand guns going off constantly in the coverts 

 where they are." 



Imitation pheasants thus made will only last a siugle 

 season ; should anything more permanent be desired, recourse 

 must be had to those made of wood, which may be cheaply 

 and efficiently constructed on the following plan. Take a 



fir pole, saw it through at an angle of 45; this cut, when 

 rounded off, forms the breast of the bird ; a cut at 22 J forms 

 the tail-end. So, by making alternate cuts at 45 and 22^, 

 you may cut up the pole without waste, as shown in the plan. 

 A. cut lath forms a capital tail, which should be put on nearly 

 perpendicular, as pheasants roost with the tail hanging down ; 



the head is easily made out of the upper end of the pole, 

 where too small for the body. Daub over with some oil paint, 



