MOVING THE COOPS, ETC. 75 



common, error to shift as you feed. Many, I had 

 almost written most, keepers will do so ; they won't 

 own it if questioned by their masters, but still they do 

 it; it saves a lot of trouble, and is much the easiest 

 method of getting through the daily work, and I may 

 as well now expound my theory as to why the practice 

 is so pernicious, and why you should only feed the 

 hen at shifting time, and go round again to distribute 

 their pabulum to your crowd of yellow, fluffy charges. 

 As I have, I believe, already remarked, one of the 

 most important matters to be attended to in pheasant 

 rearing but a good thing cannot be said too often, 

 and besides, it is most probable that my articles when 

 they appeared in the Field were not read continuously 

 by those interested in the subject is, that the food 

 for the young birds should only be given in sufficient 

 quantities to insure its being always fresh, and any 

 chance of the youngsters picking up stale grub should 

 be, as far as possible, eliminated. It will not do ta 

 throw down food for the young birds at the same time 

 as you shift the coop for this very simple reason. 

 The moment the young birds find themselves upon 

 fresh ground, their first idea is to enjoy to the utmost 

 the delightful prospects opened out to them by these 

 " other fields and pastures new," albeit that their new 

 territory is really extremely circumscribed in its area, 

 and off they go for a prowl after insects and what not, 

 quite regardless of the dainty morsels that you have 

 so obligingly just placed within their reach. After a 



