FOOD FOR PHEASANTS 225 



in the night by a din as if the roof of a tin church 

 had fallen off, a din proved to be associated with a 

 piece of corrugated iron in the garden, used as a 

 stand for pots and pans. The mystery to be ex- 

 plained was what had upset the stand and the pots. 

 A tuft of the fur of a hare on the tin gave the clue, 

 with a nibbled patch of parsley a few yards away. 

 It was determined that a cat had come suddenly 

 round a corner on a hare enjoying an unlawful feast, 

 and that the hare in her fear had dashed headlong 

 into the corrugated iron, thus raising pandemonium ; 

 one effect was the hare came no more to that garden. 



The cost of feeding pheasants is a question of some 

 interest at this season to those who must foot the 



bill. The keeper is commonly blamed for 

 Phea/ants running up too big a bill ; a happy medium 



between his maximum and his employer's 

 minimum is probably the correct amount of 

 money required for food. The object of supplying 

 corn to pheasants is not always understood. It is 

 less to feed the pheasants for they can usually exist 

 on natural food, if not very thick on the ground 

 than to keep them from straying, by giving them a 

 pleasing and profitable employment. That keeper 

 makes a mistake and is extravagant who strews 

 maize on a clean-swept ride. His pheasants in a few 

 minutes will swallow a cropful and will be free during 

 the rest of the day to seek and find mischief. They 



p 



