50 



PHEASANTS FOB COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



yards. To these the pheasants tiy on the sudden approach of 

 danger during the day, and skulk there till the alarm is 

 over." It is sometimes desirable to supply the want of 

 ground covert for young birds in fir plantations where 

 there is only short grass. The readiest mode of doing this is 

 10 use the trimmings of hedges, boughs, and tops of trees ; 

 the latter should be cut about a yard long and stuck in 

 holes made with a crowbar. The high grass soon grows in 

 amongst the sticks, and makes very good ground covert, 

 which will last some years; or the roots of young spruce 

 trees may be cut on one side, when the trees may be pulled 

 down into a nearly horizontal position, and kept so by filling 

 up the hole with the earth dug out. 



The vignette represents the head of a pheasant in which 

 the upper mandible had been shot away; nevertheless, the 

 bird when killed was in good condition. 



