108 PHEASANTS FOB COVUBTS AND AVIARIES. 



compass by the jolting of the journey^ and the eggs fre- 

 quently come into contact and are broken. 



Sometimes circumstances may occur in which it is desir- 

 able to exchange the eggs of fowls and pheasants temporarily; 

 there is no difficulty in so doing. Pheasants' and partridges' 

 eggs may be taken from their nests^ and others substituted. 

 The exchanged eggs may be placed under common hens. 

 As soon as the pheasants' eggs show appearance of hatchings 

 they are removed back again to those nests which have not 

 been forsaken, with very good results. The exchange is 

 much more likely to succeed with pheasants than partridges ; 

 with the former it is almo%i| a certainty. The advantages 

 are many, and all on the keeper's side^ as he may turn out 

 with the old birds larger broods than they otherwise would 

 have hatched. 



In those cases in which the nest of the pheasant is in a 

 situation likely to be disturbed, the plan may be advan- 

 tageous ; but, under ordinary circumstances, the eggs had 

 better be left unmolested, as the hen pheasant is almost 

 certain to bring ofE a larger number of chicks than would 

 result if the eggs were shifted under a farmyard hen. 



In some parts of Germany turkey hens are employed to 

 hatch pheasants ; the eggs are collected and placed under 

 the hens, who make excellent mothers, and are capable of 

 hatching and rearing twice the number of poults that a barn- 

 door hen can raise. From the great success that has attended 

 the introduction into England of the American plan of 

 allowing turkey hens to lay, sit, and rear their young in the 

 open, I should strongly advise the placing of pheasants 

 eggs in the nest of a turkey hen that has sat herself in some 

 hedgerow or covert, and letting her rear the yoimg 

 pheasants, uncooped, and at perfect liberty. 



