Hand-reared Pheasants in Covert. 49 



The author would strongly warn readers to be 

 careful concerning the nature of any non-straying 

 mixture they may be recommended to use. The 

 merits of some of these preparations are based on 

 the attractive flavour they impart to the grain 

 over which they are poured, but there are nostrums 

 sold which intoxicate the pheasants. While under 

 the influence of such a drug the bird certainly 

 cannot stray, upon the principle tliat a thoroughly 

 drunken and incapable man cannot move far ; but 

 no wide stretch of the imagination is needed to 

 picture what would occur should a lively fox get 

 amongst a batch of pheasants dazed beneath the 

 influence of a mixture such as described. A dog 

 even would do immense harm, and readers are 

 again advised to resort to the use of such 

 preparations only after due investigation. 



Should young pheasants nearly matured be seen 

 about minus their tails, it is plain proof that foxes 

 are troubling them. A proportion of the birds a 

 fox attempts to capture he loses owing to his 

 grabbing their tails, which generally protrude from 

 any cover in which the birds are trying to 

 conceal themselves. A pheasant and its tail are 

 easily parted, and no further sign of what -is 

 going forward is necessary to an observant 

 keeper. 



E 



