Pheasants Rearing by Hand. 37 



cold winds. A not too closely planted orchard, and parti- 

 cularly one of young trees, is a very suitable spot. A well 

 walled enclosure is, of course, desirable, but not a necessity. 



As soon as the coops are tenanted, a look-out by day 

 and preparations at night must be arranged for the reception 

 of any kind of vermin which may be attracted to the spot. 

 They will probably present the shape of cats, rats, or dogs 

 the latter of the sheep dog description. It is always neces- 

 sary to set a gin or two adjacent to each coop, so that if 

 anything should come it may find a welcome. 



When the birds are a week old they must be removed 

 to the rearing ground, where they should remain until they 

 quit the coops and start off to find a subsistence for them- 

 selves. The best possible rearing ground is a small field, 

 about one or two acres in extent, of seeds ; that is of per- 

 manent pasture in its first season. It is desirable, however, 

 that the long rye and other grasses, tall growing, should 

 predominate, and "a thin field of seeds " be the result. 

 On an estate where large numbers of pheasants are annually 

 reared it should be so arranged that there is always this 

 beau-ideal of a raising ground ; and if a couple of acres be 

 broken up and seeded out every fourth year this desideratum 

 will always be at hand. The presence of some covert, a 

 belt of plantation for instance, on one side of the ground 

 is of great value. As soon as the young pheasants are ready 

 to go out in their coops, or rather just before, this ground 

 must be partially mown, according to the plan shown at 

 Fig. 7, or in some similar manner. Of course, there is no 

 necessity to follow exactly the plan prescribed ; but if a small 

 field be available of the description previously given, and 



