84 PHEASAXTS FOR COVERT.S AXD AVIARIES. 



from the ground, and so keeping the birds away from the 

 cold damp soil during the night. The sloping arrangement 

 of these branches is advantageous t(.) the birds, as all of them 

 liave the flight feathers of one wing (not both) cut short ; 

 tliey are thus destitute of the power of flight, and consequently 

 inclined branches, up which they can walk and down which 

 they can descend without violence, are exceedingly useful. 

 These runs, open as they are, afford all the shelter required, 

 provided they are not placed on the north or east side of a 

 hill or rising ground. Their advantage over ]iermanent 

 buildings is great; in the latter pheasants cannot be success- 

 fully reared, as the ground becomes tainted, epidemic disease 

 breaks oat, and the soil also becomes charged with the ova of 

 the Hijrigamus tracliealis, or gapeworm, a parasite which often 

 causes great havoc amongst the young poults. l^)oth of these 

 evils may be in great measure avoided by shifting the runs as 

 frequently as may be convenient. The lams may be made of 

 any size, so as to accommodate one cock and three or four 

 hens, or a larger number of birds. Care must be taken not 

 to have them too small, as the birds when closely confined, 

 often take to pecking one another's feathers — an evil which 

 is occasionally carried on until the persecuted bird is killed. 

 A\Tien runs are made small, the gr(")un(l very rapidly becomes 

 tainted, and the birds consequently diseased. The vigorous 

 healthy aspect of the nunun'ous birds 1 saw at these 

 pheasantries was evidently owing, in gi-eat ])art at lea^t to 

 the large size of the enclosures, and the fresh ground on to 

 which they are so frequently shifted. Xo nest-places are 

 made oi' required ; the hens generally drop their eggs about 

 at random, and they should lie looked for and collected at 

 least twice a day. This is most important, as, if any et>-u's 

 are chipped or broken, the bird^ may acquire the bad habit of 

 pecking them, which is quickly acquired by all others in the 

 run, and will be found exceedingly ditScult to eradicate. The 

 food employed is good sound Ijarley, with a certain proportion 

 of buckwheat. This is varied by soft food consistino- of meal 



