144 A GAMEKEEPER'S NOTE-BOOK 



enough until there comes a hot, dry spell which ends 

 suddenly in rain, and then the chicks drink im- 

 moderately, and suffer the penalty. That chicks 

 take the first chance to drink the raindrops from the 

 herbage shows that water is good for them ; and the 

 best plan is to provide them with a continuous supply 

 of clean water from the beginning, so that they 

 never become thirsty and drink themselves to 

 death. 



-r * 



A continuous supply prevents the straying of pheas- 

 ants as they grow up, and feel inclined to see the 



world, especially when they have been 

 Coverts weane d from food more or less pappy to a 



diet of hard corn. Another benefit is felt 

 by the gamekeeper : where there is no constant 

 supply, he must trudge many weary miles carrying 

 heavy buckets of water, and he knows all the time 

 that his labour is almost in vain so much of the 

 precious water is wasted by evaporation, and fouled 

 by the birds washing themselves, and by the drifting 

 of leaves. If artificial supplies are relied upon, it is 

 always difficult to supply enough ; if rain is relied 

 upon, there is usually far too much. For game- 

 birds, the ideal covert is one with never-failing brooks, 

 and the ideal weather is the ideal weather of April 

 days of warm sunshine with occasional light, 

 warm showers by day to supplement the dews of 

 night. 



