Pheasants Maintenance and Increase. 19 



of obtaining eggs, means can be adopted whereby to secure 

 a number of hen pheasants within an enclosure formed in 

 the preserves, as we have already stated, and as this is a 

 considerable saving of time in collecting eggs, we will give 

 instructions as to the construction of it. Various modes 

 of construction are recommended, but it matters little so 

 long as the site chosen is a good one, and the pen properly 

 made. There is sure to be some suitable spot in the 

 covert where an enclosure about fifteen feet square and eight 

 feet high can be made, with galvanised wire netting, put up 

 on posts or on the trees. The pen must be provided with a 

 door. In the spring of the year, before the birds are mating, 

 catch up not over a dozen tame hens, cut one wing, and 

 turn them down, feeding and watering them regularly, and 

 see that they have good shelter. The wild cocks will soon 

 find them out, and become pretty frequent visitors, and at 

 nesting time the hens will lay anywhere about the pen, up 

 to about three dozen eggs per bird. These are collected 

 daily and set off ; when the hens cease laying, turn them 

 loose again, or, if they show signs of nesting, then let 

 them hatch a brood of five or six if so inclined. 



Buying eggs annually in place of obtaining home-laid 

 ones is a practice more honoured in the breach than in 

 the observance, except when it is desired to raise the stock 

 at once to so large a number that one's own preserve 

 would not provide the requisite quantity. There are two 

 weighty reasons against buying eggs ; the first that from 

 shaking in transit, breakage, &c., so large a percentage are 

 lost or prove unfertile. The second is the very great en- 

 couragement the system offers to egg-poaching and stealing. 



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