44 



Game and Foxes. 



not afford concealment behind which a fox may 

 creep up and seize feeding birds. The covert, 

 too, is better devoid of thick grass and bushes, 

 because the former invites the birds to juk instead 

 of roost, and the latter to roost within reach of a 

 fox which is cunning enough to stand on his hind 

 legs or leap for a supper. Whatever is done, 

 some of the birds cannot be prevented jukking for 

 a night or two after removal, and a keeper has 

 been heard to say that it is a good plan to 

 sprinkle everv one with some tainting fluid. This 

 is done when each brood is released from its coop 

 the morning after removal, a man being at hand 

 with a sprayer to spray the birds as they emerge. 

 Such a plan may be successful in so far that it 

 would render the birds less easily scented by 

 a fox. 



When hand-reared pheasants are in covert the 

 last feed of the day should be supplied early in 

 the evening, that there may be plenty of time for 

 them to try and get to roost. Too frequently, the 

 final feed is delayed under an impression that if it 

 is given early the birds may stray off; but they 

 will not try to go to roost till they have been 

 fed, and absolutely refuse to make their first 

 attempts in either partial or entire darkness. 

 Their safety from foxes at night entirely depends 



