MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. 119 



who, as they grow up, get exceedingly " tickle," 

 and will rush from the coop at the slightest noise 

 you are unable to see if a stray poult or two be not 

 resting just outside of or on the bottom ledge 

 of the front of the coop. These the slamming-to 

 of the board would undoubtedly destroy ; so I 

 venture to submit that the old-fashioned plan, for 

 getting a " grip " upon your brood of young birds, 

 which I will now describe, still remains facile prin- 

 ceps. This is, as Dr. Lynn used to say, " how it's 

 done." 



Provide yourself with a board to exactly fit the 

 front of the coop, and proceed to starve your young 

 birds to ensure their returning to the coop at night. 

 Remove the shelter of boughs, and stand the coop 

 to face the wind. Wait until nightfall ; then, some 

 time between 1 1 p.m. and i a.m., having divested 

 yourself of boots, leggings, gaiters, or any article of 

 clothing likely to rustle and make a noise, and so 

 give warning to the inmates of the coop, approach 

 that object of your attention from behind very quietly 

 and cautiously ; take a peep first to see if there be 

 a chicken or two resting on the front bar of the coop ; 

 if not, clap your board over the front, and you have 

 your prisoners secure. Should you fail, you must 

 repeat the starvation process, or feed very lightly, and 

 try again. 



If you should desire to try and rear some late 

 poults by no means so hopeless a task as people 



