HATCHING. 375 



any small animal. If there is any difficulty about this, the 

 liver of a horse or cow answers remarkably well. With 

 a knife cut some deep gashes in the substance of the 

 liver or flesh, and hang it up in a shady place, but 

 near the haunts of the blow-fly. Where a large number of 

 pheasants are reared an outhouse is specially provided, the 

 incursions of sparrows being prevented by wire- work or net- 

 ting. In a few days the maggots will attain a lively state 

 of existence ; but they require about a week to reach their 

 full development to the green or soft state, and another week 

 to reach their maturity, when they are large and fat, with 

 black heads. Blow-flies are abroad after the beginning of 

 May. The scouring of these gentles is effected by placing 

 them for a few days in a mixture of bran and fine sand, 

 slightly damp. By this process they are emptied of their 

 contents, and rendered tough in their skins; in which state 

 they will not purge the young birds. When the object is to 

 preserve them for many days, they must be kept in a very 

 cool place, such as a cellar, or they even should be buried in 

 the earth. Without attention to this precaution they are 

 almost sure to assume the chrysalis condition, in which stage 

 they are useless for feeding. A low temperature, and the 

 exclusion of air and light retard this development; but in 

 most cases the young birds will require the gentles as fast as 

 they are sufficiently scoured. The curds used are those to 

 be obtained at any dairy. 



As soon as the young birds are strong enough, which will 

 be at the end of a few days, or perhaps a week, from the 

 hatching, they will require a run on grass. For this select 

 a dry field, with a south-western aspect if possible, but 

 carefully avoiding such as are exposed to the east or north. 

 A slope to the sun is generally preferred, as it allows the 

 rain to run off as fast as it falls ; but it is well to provide 

 against the flooding of the coops by digging a trench above 

 them to carry off the water sideways. The young birds are 

 extremely fond of high grass, which not only shelters them 

 from the sun and from hawks, but allows them to find insects, 

 so that it is well to leave parts of the field uncut. Broad 

 paths must, however, be mown through it for the coops or 

 rips, and on them, at intervals, the latter are placed, re- 



