FEEDING IN PENS. 87 



Witli retravd to the einplo\'iiieut <.iE :iniiii:il food, sucli as 

 liorseflesli, greaves, &e., I Ijelieve its use, except in tlie very 

 smallest quantity, to be exceedingly injurious ; nor do I 

 approve of the spiced coudinients so strongly recoiunieuded 

 by the makers. The bodies of dead domestic animals can, 

 however, be most advantagcdusl y utilised by all(.)wiug them 

 to become thoroughly Hy-blown, and then burying them uuder 

 about a foot of loose soil in the iiens, "where the macrffots g-o 

 through the i-egaiar stages of growth, after which they Avork 

 their way to the surface cleansed of all impurities in their 

 jxassage through the soil. They furnish an admirable supply 

 of insect food for the birds, and give them constant occupa- 

 tion and exercise in scratching in the ground. Utilised in 

 this manner, the bodies of dead fowls, or any small domestic 

 animals, are jjerfectly inoffensive, and the result is most 

 beneficial to the birds. 



The employment of crushed b(jnes, as a suljstitute for the 

 varied animal substances the pheasant feeds upon when in a 

 wild state, is highly advantageous. Mr. P. Crook writes : — 

 " We have seen many instances of game being perfectly cured 

 of l)oth eating their eggs and plucking each other, by the 

 continual practice of giving a portion of well-smashed boues 

 every day. 'J^liese remarks ap[)ly more especially to the home 

 pheasautries, in consequence of the absence of the natural 

 shell stuff they pick up when at liberty, but we would 

 recommend some to be thrown about the feeding grounds of 

 the preserves, as the highly nutritious nature of the elements 

 of smashed fresh boues conduces remarkably to keep the bird 

 together, particularly in very wet seasons, when the condition 

 of the land renders it impus^ible for them to scratch about to 

 tlie sau)e extent." Should the aviary be situated on soil in 

 which small stones are absent, these must be supplied ; this 

 is conveniently done by tlirowiug in some fresh gravel once or 

 twice a week; but it has been found that small granite grit 

 is an excellent material, and some of the most successful 

 rearers are in the habit of having truckloads of this forwarded 



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