86 PHEASANTS FOB COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



in pleasantries 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 j^ear 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 : " 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 of the highest part of the roof; 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. For those 

 pheasantries desired for strictly ornamental 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, 

 '^riiese ornamental aviaries may be carried out to any extent, 

 but cannot be made to move about ; therefore the greatest 



