OPEN PENS FOR HENS. 85 



ray own impression was, I must say, that the wild cocks had 

 not visited the hens/' This appears an exceptional case, and 

 may probably be due to some local conditions, such as the 

 small size of the enclosures. 



On the other hand, a second authority states : " On an 

 estate with which I am well acquainted, the whole of the 

 young birds, some 400, were reared from eggs produced by 

 hens whose mates were wild birds. The pheasantry was 

 constructed with an open top, and the wild cock birds 

 regularly visited it. The tameuess of these birds was remark- 

 able, and I have frequently seen six or eight cock birds 

 walking fearlessly about within a few yards of me while 

 inspecting the birds. As an instance of the audacity of the 

 wild bird, I may mention that a few years ago I kept five 

 hen pheasants and one cock pheasant in a temporary covered 

 pheasantry, the lower part being covered up to the height of 

 two or three feet, and the upper part being constructed of 

 wire stretched on poles. I noticed shortly after the birds 

 had been put in that the wire was bulged inwards in several 

 places, and could not imagine how it had been done. Ou 

 watching, however, I found a wild cock pheasant was in the 

 habit of regularly fighting with the confined male bird by 

 flying up against the wire, the bird inside being by no means 

 loth to accept the challenge. One morning, however, the 

 wild bird was found inside, a nail having given way in one of 

 his flights against the wire netting, being the cause of his 

 unexpected capture. When discovered he had nearly killed 

 the imprisoned cock bird, who was removed, and his 

 adversary substituted. I may remark that those who have 

 tried breeding from wild cocks will hardly, I fancy, return to 

 the old system of keeping the cocks in confinement, as I have 

 found that the birds bred from wild cocks are invariably 

 stronger, and consequently easier to rear than those bred in 

 the ordinary way.'' 



There is no absolute necessity, however, for having recourse 

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



