186 GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 



perfect retreat for pheasants. But surely this 

 consideration ought not to influence those who 

 have it in their power to create them on their 

 ancestral domains, and who have a park or landed 

 property of any kind to bequeath to their succes- 

 sors. The first expense and labour are com- 

 paratively trifling ; and beyond these there is 

 no difficulty. They may be laid out on any 

 open space of ground that has the advantage 

 of water in its neighbourhood ; may be planned 

 of any size, and multiplied to any extent, accord- 

 ing to the dimensions or capabilities of the park 

 or estate. Food should be liberally supplied. It 

 should be placed inside, under the yew trees. 

 Jerusalem artichokes, boiled potatoes and beans 

 are better than barley or buckwheat, not being 

 liable to be devoured by sparrows and other small 

 granivorous birds which have a strong predilec- 

 tion for all kinds of cereal grain. 



The importance of evergreen timber trees in 

 extensive preserves has been too much overlooked 

 in general. I am not now alluding to yews and 

 hollies, which take many years in coming to per- 

 fection, or at least before they can form secure 

 roosting places for pheasants. Scotch, spruce, 

 and silver firs ought to be planted liberally. A 

 well-known and frequently fatal habit of the cock 

 pheasant that of crowing several times when he 



