TETHERING HENS WITH YOUNG BIRDS. 125 



ends are then tied together in a knot at B, The cord should 

 be so arranged that the loop A is about an inch long. 



The proportions are shown of the correct size in the 

 engraving. When it is wished to apply this to a hen the loop 

 can be enlarged by sliding the slip knot down the string 

 towards B, when the; loop will become suflSoiently large for 

 the foot of a hen to be passed through. On returning the 

 slip knot to its former position, the loop is round the leg of 

 the hen, but cannot be tightened by her pulling, and is readily 

 taken off and put on ag^in as required. The free end of the 

 string may be as long as is desired, depending on the amount 

 of space which it is wished to allow the hen to roam over. 

 At its extremity should be a peg, which can be forced into- 

 the ground firmly enough to prevent the hen pulling it out. 



An open, sheltered coop should be placed near her, under 

 which she can retreat at night and daring rain. The coop 

 should not be put so close to the peg by which the hen is 

 fastened that she can walk round it, but near the limit of her 

 cord, so that she can pass in and out, but not round the back. 

 When thus fastened the hen is able to scratch the surface of 

 the ground and supply her young with the seeds, grubs, 

 worms, and natural food which is so much more advantageous 

 to them than any artificial substitute that can be given. The 

 young pheasants or chickens, even when two or three days 

 old, will be observed scratching for themselves, and the 

 progress that they make when reared under these conditions 

 is out of all proportion to that made when the hen is kept 

 cooped up and the birds are fed on the hard, soiled, dirty 

 ground. The pegs and coops can be shifted daily, so that 

 the young birds are always on fresh ground. 



In situations where such a convenience is available, there 

 is no more advantageous situation for newly hatched 

 pheasants than a garden surrounded with high walls. A 

 very practical correspondent, writing from Kildare, says :. 

 " There can be no better place to put young birds when 

 newly reared than a large walled-in vegetable garden. I 



