50 PRACTICAL PHEASANT REARING. 



cover over a portion of each yard with green boughs, 

 under which the little ones can creep and find a 

 natural arbour and protection. 



As to the actual field, select, if you can, an old 

 meadow having a south aspect with a gentle slope. 

 The short, Dutch clover is desirable ; the heavy rank 

 sort decidedly to be avoided. Have the field well 

 eaten down by sheep, and put out the birds when 

 there is very little cover. There will soon be plenty 

 when the field gets quietude ; all that fashionable 

 system of mowing into lanes and squares, and 

 allowing a lot of thick damp grass for the chicks to 

 draggle into and drown themselves, is a great 

 mistake, more particularly on heavy land in the south. 

 Young pheasants occasionally do well on a second 

 crop of rye grass thin rye, as it is called ; but a 

 luxurious crop, though satisfactory to the farmer, will 

 not suit the gamekeeper. Little birds on these artifi- 

 cially mown-out runs are much more visible to the 

 eye of the hawk and other enemies and on a wet 

 day the young ones are sure to seek the open than 

 they are when crouching under a natural tuft of grass, 

 or in hiding amongst the boughs which should always 

 be at hand near their coops. 



Choose deep soil, not rocky or flinty if it can be 

 avoided. Water comes rushing over the latter, and 

 floods the coops ; into deep soil it more easily sinks 



Have your field a good way from the coverts, give 

 the latter all the rest you can, and, contrary to the 



