26 PRACTICAL PHEASANT REARING. 



not systematically replaced upon her own eggs ; 

 whereas if she be sent back to her original fifteen she 

 spoils them, no doubt, but she spoils no more. 

 Therefore the proper way to proceed is this : Number 

 your boxes (chalk will do), and have the same number 

 of pegs stuck in the ground a couple of feet apart, to 

 tether the hens to, by a piece of cord and a leathern 

 fastening to go round a leg ; these pegs, a couple of 

 feet apart, may either be fixed into the ground 

 opposite the boxes, or numbered also at the top, 

 which is the safest way ; or you can simply count the 

 numbers, from right to left, as you tether your hen or 

 release her. Anyway will do, so long as you make 

 sure that your hen returns to the identical box, and 

 the self-same sitting of eggs whence you removed her. 

 If by any chance there should be some doubt about 

 the matter, or a careless underkeeper has got the 

 hens mixed up, a glance at the colour of the feathers 

 at the top of the nest inside the box will generally tell 

 you if the right hen is going into that particular 

 sitting box. A black hen will have left some black 

 feathers ; so, if you see a man attempting to cram a 

 white or red hen into the box with the black feathers, 

 you may be certain that there is something wrong. 



The eggs will hatch out in from twenty-three to 

 twenty-five days ; so when half that period has passed 

 away it is advisable to sprinkle the eggs occasionally 

 with a little tepid water ; but do not resort too much 

 to the watering process, or do it too often. You may 



