28 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



SECTION V. — THE NATURAL .OR WILD SYSTEM OF 

 REARING PHEASANTS. 



The chances of raising a sufficient number of pheasants on 

 an estate by allowing the birds to lay and hatch under purely 

 natural conditions in the coverts, in conformity with the 

 forestry working plans, must be calculated on the same 

 principle as that on which the artificial breeder proceeds. For 

 so many birds expected to come to maturity he, sets so many 

 eggs, and the margin for losses, under the most favourable 

 circumstances, is always large. This is a fundamental condition 

 with the artificial breeder, for it is one of the amusing features 

 of a system, ostensibly designed to multiply the stock on 

 economical lines, that the allowance for losses and failure must 

 be on the most ample scale. In the natural system, allowance 

 must also be made for losses, but on a much less scale, while 

 the cost of the system is fractional compared to the other. 

 In wild, rearing, it is a question of the number of hens to be 

 left in the coverts after the shooting season is over ; but before 

 discussing this point, there are several other points to consider. 

 In the first place, it is admitted by keepers, and asserted by 

 competent and impartial observers, that, if wild birds do not 

 always hatch out the whole of the eggs in the nest, they 

 at least hatch out a very much larger proportion than keepers 

 succeed in bringing out under hens. Mr. Tegetmeir, giving 

 one gentleman's experience as an example, says, p. 105, that in 

 artificial rearing " The fault usually existing is that an over 

 careful pampering system is adopted, and miserable broods 

 are the result. I have experimented in a manner which leaves 

 no doubt upon the subject. Upon one occassion I was anxious 

 to test the fertility of certain pheasants' eggs, and continued to 

 remove the eggs from a nest in the woods until I found the 

 hen desirous of sitting. I left twelve eggs in the nest, and set 

 thirteen under a hen at home ; the pheasant brought out twelve 

 birds, whiles at home, I only had three miserable birds. Similar 

 results have many times occurred since." Keepers attempt to 

 get over facts of this kind by arguing that although the wild 

 pheasant hatches out by far the largest proportion of eggs, 

 she loses the chicks afterwards, because she does not care what 

 becomes of them as long as she has one solitary chick to follow 

 her, which is a gross libel on the pheasant and on nature. 

 The truly wild mother will hover about for days within a few 

 feet or yards of the nest, immediately after hatching, and, 



