228 CLASS AVES. 



April. One male is sufficient for many females in the wild 

 state ; in captivity, he receives but three ; a greater number 

 would not produce the same advantages as the common hens, 

 as the pheasant is less vigorous than the cock. For breeding 

 with proper effect, the male should be of the preceding year, 

 and the females should be but three years old. Many 

 amateurs cause the eggs of the pheasant to be hatched by 

 hens. 



In a state of captivity, the young pheasants require much 

 care ; the most critical period for these birds is when the 

 tail begins to shoot. They may at first be fed with a mix- 

 ture, composed of hard eggs, crumb of bread, mmced lettuce, 

 and ant-eggs. - The larvas of the blue-fly, which deposits its 

 eggs in meat, are also recommended for them by some 

 writers. 



The domestic education of game is the best method of 

 repeopling an estate with them, and repairing the destruction 

 occasioned by the chase. M. Temminck recommends the 

 following methods : 



A place should be selected to contain the pheasants, sur- 

 rounded with walls of sufficient height to prevent the incur- 

 sions of foxes, &c., and of an extent proportioned to the 

 quantity of game to be brought up ; ten acres will be enough 

 for one person to superintend ; but the more extensive the 

 space is the better. It is necessary that the troops of young 

 game should be sufficiently removed from each other, to 

 prevent their ages from being confounded. The neighbour- 

 hood of those which are strong is dangerous for the feeble. 

 In the greater part of this space there should be plenty of 

 grass, and a sufficient number of small, thick tufted bushes, 

 that each group of birds may have one within reach ; this is 

 a matter of indispensable necessity in warm weather. 

 - To procure pheasant's eggs with greater facility, it is 

 necessary to feed a certain number of hens all the year round. 



