C H A P T E It V. 



MAXAGEMHXT OF I'llEASAXTS IN PKESERVES 

 (CONTINUED). 



■jr-.r-v/NTiL'^ 



RlvVRING ANM;) J'KMJTKCTION. 



i 



W^tfll i'Vtl rc^'anl to tlie i-earin^' of ]ilieasnnts in jireserves, 

 ]SMM i- lint little ni't'd 1je said ; the Ic^s tlicy are iiitert'crei] 

 ■'^j^'/i-, ' witli the liettei'. No Li'dutl ciin pessiljly cume from 

 \ /:;| (listnvliing' the sittiiig heii>. Ijnt, en the ether hand, a 

 greiit aniennt ef iiiisehief may a.ecrae. When leaving 

 the nest ([nietly in order to beek food, the hen does so 

 in sncli ii. manner as not to attraet the attention oi the 

 nutnerons enennes, as erows, jnag])ies, ja.ys, &c., that are on 

 the watch to discover ami devour lier eggs ; but driven e^ff by 

 the prying intrusion of a visitor, she departs without cautiou, 

 and niahes known the situation of her C(jncealed nc'st. The 

 only circumstance warranting any interference with the nests 

 (jf the wild birds is the occurrence of a greater number of 

 eggs than the parent hen is ca])able of I'earing as young 

 l)irds, should the whole of them be hateheiL A hen |iheasaut 

 is rarely seen with more than six or seven young, at least 

 when they \m\e arrived at any size ; and as she not 

 infrequently lays a larger nnndier of eggs, it is an advan- 

 tageous ])hin to remove all beyiuid eight oi- nine for the 

 purpose of hatching them undei- common farnu'ard hens. 

 Mr. J. I'laily, in his " Pheasaids and Pheasantries,'' says 

 that if "a keeper knows of forty nests, seven eggs may 

 be safely spared fr(un each : this will give two liundred 



