ON THE KEAKING OF PHEASANTS BY HAND. 125 



Some keepers very erroneously mow a swartli 

 in tlic long' meadow grass, and put their coops 

 into it, and never cover up the fronts of their 

 coops at dusk, or before dusk, every evening, as 

 tliey ouglit to do. The consequence of this is, 

 if rain comes on, the young birds get into the 

 grass, and, to use a keeper's expression, get 

 ^^ draggled," and, becoming chilled, never reach 

 the coops again. Or in the long grass, during 

 the day, a stoat, a weazel, or a rat may get 

 hold of them, the A^ermin not visible to the 

 keepers, when, on feeding, if the right immber 

 of young pheasants do not appear at the expected 

 coop, the keeper at once concludes that they 

 have gone and got mixed up with other broods, 

 and takes no more trouble about it. 



Wlien coops and broods are put out, select 

 as fair and open a piece of short grass as possible, 

 so as to be able with the eye to command every 

 yard of the ground. By way of shade and cover 

 for the little birds, place in the vicinity of each 

 coop scA^eral boughs of trees, laid for sufficient * 

 support, and for the sake of keeping hollow, 

 lapping the one over the other. Furze boughs 

 will answer the purpose of sufficient protection 



