I land-reared Pheasants in Covert. 45 



upon roosting, and birds fed too late seldom fly to 

 roost. 



During the last hour of light a covert containing 

 the birds must be kept perfectly free from intru- 

 sion, no one even venturing to pass along the 

 rides, for it is most unwise to disturb the young 

 pheasants while making their first essays to roost. 

 Once one or two commence to fly into the trees 

 others soon follow, and the whole batch will be at 

 roost in a few evenings. It is also advisable to 

 give some of the more active fowls their liberty 

 from the coops, as they show no hesitation in 

 flying to roost amongst the trees, and tempt the 

 broods to follow their good example. 



It has been noticed that if a fox does get 

 amongst a batch of pheasants jukking in covert, 

 kill some and thoroughly frighten the rest, that 

 the birds fear to risk such another experience, and 

 strive their utmost to get to roost the succeeding 

 night. This knowledge has encouraged some 

 keepers in hunting districts to muzzle a spaniel 

 and well hunt a covert in which a large majority 

 are suspected of jukking, and those rearers who 

 have done this assert that the birds will not again 

 juk, and it is seldom necessary to use the dog on 

 a second occasion. As this is a proceeding of 

 which the author has had no experience he 



