PREVENTION OF EGG EATING. 99 



off, and straining some galvanised wire netting across the 

 inclosure six inches off the ground, the mesh being of a 

 sufficient size to allow the eggs to drop through as soon as 

 laid on to some moss or chaff ; the hens should be driven into 

 the wired inclosure early in the morning, and let out again 

 late in the evening — food and water, of course, must be 

 placed in a small trough for them." 



Mr. Fairfax Muckley, of Audnam, Stourbridge, says : 

 ^' My pheasantries are large, and of considerable extent. My 

 method is this : In the beginning of April I have a bundle of 

 larch bushes placed on each corner of the pheasantries, 

 leaving only room behind for one bird, and a little hole in 

 the bushes for the hens to creep into ; then make a place on 

 the ground behind the bushes and put two or three sham 

 ground glass eggs, and also place a few anywhere about the 

 pheasantries ; they then become accustomed to see these sham 

 eggs and try to break them, but finding they cannot do so, 

 they leave the real ones alone. The hens are also induced to 

 go into the corners of the pheasantries and lay to the sham 

 eggs. The great thing is to have these in every way like 

 real ones. Those generally used are useless, being either too 

 heavy or too light, and wrong in appearance. I may add 

 that the oftener the eggs are collected the better; but care 

 should be taken not to disturb the hens when behind the 

 bushes. I had two very fine cock birds sent me; they ate 

 the eggs in the beginning, but by continually having 

 perfectly-made sham eggs before them they are quite cured, 

 and over one hundred eggs have been collected out of their 

 pens. It is a good plan, when a hen has just laid, to take the 

 egg away and put a sham one in the place, particularly when 

 you know they eat them. At the end of the season have 

 the sham eggs collected for other seasons." 



The glass eggs manufactured by Mr. Muckley are most 

 efiicacious in preventing this destructive habit. 



In consequence of the removal of the eggs as soon as 

 deposited, and the birds not sitting, the number laid by the 



