lOS PHEASANTS FOR roVERTS AND ATIARIES. 



con.-,ists of barley meal of the best ([uality, boileil eggs rubbed 

 throiigli a coarse sie\'e ; white biscuit aieal is also used^ ami 

 some crissel is rubbed \\\) with it. 



There are no Ijottouis to the coops, which arc 

 moved ou to fresh grouud twice a day, morning ;ind night, 

 so that the young birds never I'est on foul grouud. The 

 frfjuts are not closely shut up, as is too often the case, but a 

 board is ])laeed against them, and they ai-e ]iaiuted white^ a 

 colour which, being strange, is not appreciated by loxes. 



The covert annually yields about '20n0 head of game, 

 Avhich must be owing to the good iiiimagement, inasnmch as 

 the soil IS ln'avy, ami in wet weather ]iarticiilarly damp. Xo 

 quack remedies are used in the feeding of these birds, which 

 are amply supplied with grit, the particular variety employed 

 Ijeing line granite grit. This is most u'reedily eaten liy the 

 Ijirds, and is purchased liy the truck load, (iranite contains, 

 in addition to the extremely hard qiuirtz, which assists in the 

 grinding of the food in the gizzard, other minerals essential 

 to healtliN' gr(jwth, siudi as lime, potash, iron, &c., in the form 

 of felspar and mica. There is another ]ioiiit to which I may 

 call attention. At the eml of the season the head keepei' 

 carefully goes round the coverts, and any bird that he can 

 detect that shows the slightest sign of having been W(iunded, 

 or that IS not in the pitdc of condition, is ;it once <lispatcbed, 

 so as to leave nothing but healthy and vig'eirous birds to breed 

 from. 



Xow, It may be asked, to what is the long continued 

 success of the pheasants on this estate due ''. There can be but 

 one answer. To the good >anitary arrangements, to the 

 rational method of leedmg and management adopted liy an 

 nnusiially intelligent keeper. So far from the s\ stem fjeint;' 

 expensive it is exceedingly economical, and the re.sulc is tts 

 satisfactory as it is |j(jssible ti.> concei\"e, for thi_a'e are more 

 strong, vigorous, ami healthy birds jiroduced on this estate 

 in jn-oportion to the acreage than on any otlur tiiat I am 

 acquainted with. On several of the estates not far distant, 



