OPEN PEN'S FOR HENS. S9 



wild cocks came close to the cnclosarOj but 1 never actually 

 found one inside. I followed Baily's instructions implicitly ; 

 my own impression was, I nmst say, that the wild cocks had 

 not visited the lieus." This appears an exceptional case, and 

 may probably be due to some local conditions, such as the 

 small size of the enclosures. 



On the other hand, a second authority states . " On an 

 estate with which I am well accjuainted, the whole of the 

 young birds, some 40U, were reared from egys produced by 

 hens whose mates were wild birds. The ])heasautry was 

 constructed with an open top, and the wild cock birds 

 regularly visited it. The tameness of these birds was remark- 

 able, and I have frequently seen six or eight cock lurds 

 walking fearlessly about within a tew yards of me while 

 inspecting the birds. As an instance of the amlacity of the 

 wild Ijird, I may mention that a tew years ago I kept ti\e 

 hen pheasants and one cock pheasant in a temporary covered 

 pheasantry, the lower part being covered up to the height of 

 two or three feet, and the upper part being constructed of 

 wire stretched on poles. I noticed shortly after the birds 

 had been put in that the wire was bulged inwards in several 

 places, and could not imagine how it had been done. On 

 watching, however, I found a wikl ci.ick jiheasant was in the 

 habit of regularly tigrhtin"- with the coiiHued male bird by 

 flying up against the wire, the bird mside being by no means 

 loth to accept the challenge. One morning, however, the 

 wild bird was found inside, a nail having given way in one of 

 his nights against the wire netting, being the cause of his 

 unexpected capture. When discovered ha had nearly killetl 

 the imprisoned cock bird, who was removed, and his adver- 

 sary substituted. I may remark that th(jse who have tried 

 breeding from wild cocks will hardly, 1 fancy, return to 

 the old .system of keeping the cocks in confinement, as I have 

 found that the l)irds bred from wild cocks are invariably 

 stronger, and consequently easier to rear than those bred in 

 the ordinary "way." 



