(30 PHEASANTS FOR COVEliTS AND AVIARIES. 



preserve's a iiidc of ahovi' fcmi'tfen birds (ami I liave known 

 eiphtee-n) is not infrequently ])rodnee(l from an outlyino- 

 cock and hen oeciipyiiio' some detaclied covert, and yields 

 the Lest birds of tlie season when the 1st of October arrives. 

 "W'itli respect to the propoi-tion of cocks to lie left much may 

 be written about it, depending upon all circumstances con- 

 nected with the p'ronnd under tlie entire control of the 

 individual seeking to preserve a, given stock of pheasants. 

 In all cases, in my f]]iinion, too mnch forliearance is siiown to 

 hens early in the season, and nnicli too little towards cocks 

 at the end. The safe pja.n, in all cases, is to ailapt one or 

 two snuill covei'ts, as mneli in tlie centre of vour ground as 

 Ijossible, as your feeding places for your stock birds, and 

 befoi'c the middle of Decemlier the exact number of birds 

 which by judiciems management you have collected there 

 may Ije ascertained hj a few days' careful observation. "With 

 attention and the greatest forbenrance towards these (no old 

 cocks l)eing left among their number), you may kill freely 

 elsewdiere, and insure to your friends and yourself ])leutv of 

 sport the following season from them and their progeny." 



\\\\\\ regard to the proportion of sexes to be left in the 

 coverts, it is difficult to arrive at a satisfactoiy ci.mclusion. 

 One writer states: "It would be t(.) the advantage of 

 preservers of plieasauts if they would, before it is too late, 

 refrain from sh(joting the (-(ick bii-ds too close, as m(.jst game 

 prcsei-vers, I presume, wish to have as good and numerous 

 a stock of pheasimts as they can for breeding; and the 

 reason why so many are disa,p]ioiuted in this respect is ibr 

 want of more cock birds. There should be left ;it least one 

 cock for every three hens, as eggs then would be more 

 plentiful, the chicks stronger, ami bettei- able to contend with 

 a wet season and the nunnn-ous enemies they ha^-e to battle 

 with." ]\Ir. W^ Lort advocated one cock to five hens. 



The frequent occurrence of old barren hens that have 

 assumed either wholly or in part the pluma.ge of the male i.s 

 a proof, if one were wanting, that in many coverts the old 



