90 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



There is no absolute necessity,, however, for having 

 recourse to the use of open pens, as the eggs of cut-winged 

 birds, kept in pheasantries of sufficient size, well fed, with a 

 good variety of fresh vegetable food, and supplied daily with 

 clean water, usually hatch quite well, although the chicks may 

 not be as strong as those reared from eggs gathered out of 

 nests in the open covert. 



The construction of more ornamental and permanent 

 aviaries has now to be spoken of, but will not require much 

 consideration. Fixed aviaries are far inferior, as regards the 

 health of the birds, to those that are movable; therefore, if 

 possible, they should always be constructed so as to admit 

 of their being shifted on to new ground as often as is 

 convenient. The great cause of the comparatively small 

 success that attends the rearing of pheasants in our Zoological 

 Gardens arises from the fact that the birds are kept on the 

 same spot year after year, and in aviaries that are not one- 

 tenth of the size required for the health and comfort of the 

 birds. 



The plan of an ornamental aviary necessarily depends 

 on the desires of the owner, and hardly comes within the 

 scope of this work. Mr. Crook, who had much experience in 

 erecting ornamental aviaries, writes as follows respecting 

 their construction : ee A neatly constructed lean-to building 

 may be employed, facing south or south-west; ten feet wide 

 or long, six feet deep from back to front, and six feet high at 

 front ; the roof should project over the side eighteen inches to 

 throw off the wet. The ground must be dug out under the 

 house, and dry earth or sand be filled in. Faggots may be 

 placed here as before directed, or slanting against the back 

 wall ; every precaution being taken to induce seclusion for 

 the nests. Fur those pheasantries desired for strictly orna- 

 mental purposes the run may be made to any size agreeable to 

 the wishes of the owner and the conveniences of the ground 

 at command ; or of any design in character with some 

 buildings near at hand. These ornamental aviaries may be 



