216 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



menced, they are best dealt with under foster-parents. 

 For the improvement of the breed of stock, an inter- 

 change of eggs is made recourse to, either simply by 

 transferring eggs from brood to brood on one's own 

 ground (where this is extensive), or by dealing with a 

 friendly neighbour. A similar interchange or trans- 

 ference of birds may be recommended. On one's own 

 property birds may be captured, while at feed, by coops. 

 Two out of three cocks should be killed and the re- 

 mainder removed to the ground indicated. Here they 

 are kept under coop for a few days, fed sparingly, and 

 then turned out. The same process is followed when 

 exchange is determined on with birds from neighbour- 

 ing properties or from a distance. 



With regard to the introduction of Hungarian par- 

 tridges a few remarks are necessary. They should be 

 turned down sparingly a few every year. On this 

 point Messrs. Tudway and Hall write : " The earlier 

 they are turned down the better. Birds should always 

 be turned down at night, in the neighbourhood of their 

 water and food supply. If this does not exist, supply 

 both. On the night that the keeper turns them down, 

 let him first separate the sexes, and then place about 

 four hens in one spot, and the same number of cocks 

 at a distance, repeating the process while the birds last. 

 This will give them the chance of mating with English 

 birds the same season." 



The practice which is followed by the present writer, 

 who has for years dealt with Hungarian partridges, is 



