376 THE GAME PRESERVER'S GUIDE. 



moving the bottom, and turning the sloping back towards 

 the sun so as to give the hen shade. At first, till they are 

 settled in their new abode, the birds are to be confined in the 

 pen, but on the second day the flap (e, fig. 94) may be let 

 quietly down, and the young birds will then gradually find 

 their way out and wander among the grass. The call of the 

 hen soon brings them back; and they should always be fed 

 in the small run of the pen, where, also, spring water should 

 be constantly kept, and changed regularly three times a day 

 it is a good plan to boil it. The flap of the run is shut at 

 night, which keeps out rats and stoats ; bub the young birds 

 must be let out at sunrise, when they should have their first 

 feed. Every day the coop should be shifted to fresh ground, 

 so as to avoid keeping them on that which has been stained. 

 A shallow box of dust should be provided and moved near 

 the pens to allow of the young birds dusting themselves, and 

 this is more especially necessary with partridges. After the 

 birds are six weeks old the food is gradually changed to 

 barley, buckwheat, or split Indian corn. 



KEEPING TAME PHEASANTS. 



As the young birds grow to full size and are able to fly, 

 they may either be removed to large pens, covered with net- 

 ting if they are to be turned out, or they may have the 

 feathers of one of their wings cut, and will then be easily kept 

 in by hurdles without covering overhead. Pheasants do not 

 require shelter of any sort beyond that which will be afforded 

 by light faggots, or other similar materials. The hurdles 

 should be made of split spruce laths for perpendiculars, while 

 the horizontal rails must be of rough oak; they should be 

 about seven feet high, and should each have a strong slant- 

 ing prop fixed to the middle rail (fig. 95), by which they 

 may be supported while they are being fixed to one another, 

 after which the whole square is perfectly firm. Each hurdle 

 may be made ten or twelve feet long, and four of these 

 being arranged at right angles, and their corners tied securely 

 tegether, leave a square within them of sufficient area for 

 one lot of birds consisting of a cock and from three to 

 five hens. A larger quantity should not be put together for 

 breeding; and it is better to add three more hurdles to one 



