CHAPTER VII. 



THE PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION OP POOD TO 

 THE YOUNG PHEASANTS. 



'Tis not enough to help the feeble up, 

 But to support him after. 



SHAKESPEARE (Timon of Athens, Act i., scene i). 



1 



[AVING now, successfully let us hope, con- 

 ducted the young pheasant poults from 

 the hatching ground to the rearing field, 

 and placed them scientifically in their 

 coops, each lot under their attendant dry nurse, it 

 is high time to consider and expatiate upon the 

 proper food by which to hold together, and, if pos- 

 sible, pull through until October, the tender threads 

 of existence which are all that a young pheasant can 

 lay claim to there being no doubt of the fact that, 

 next to turkeys and partridges, they are about the 

 most difficult patients in existence to pull through. 

 In this portion of my task I fear that I shall greatly 

 disappoint many readers who are expecting to be 

 apprised of some grand new plan for the instant sal- 

 vation of all pheasant poults, such as our statesmen 

 are so constantly springing upon us for the ameliora- 

 tion of the state of the sister isle. Not at all. I have 



