(50 Feeding in Covert. 



natural surface. Then puddle the whole of its face with 

 six inches of well-wrought clay, paving it with bricks laid 

 flat, and giving it all over a little coat of Portland cement. 

 Thus you have a first-class and lasting catchpit to hold water 

 most of the year, indeed the whole season. Pheasants are 

 expected to remain in covert for food and safety from September 

 to February, and then there is certainly always plenty of water. 

 After February the pheasant hkes to go further awa}-, and, 

 soon after the gun is withdrawn, is pretty sure to get distributed 

 about in search of insects and various root. Pheasants rove 

 about quietljr during their breeding season, but little is seen 

 or heard of them after April till corn harvest, as they live a 

 quiet, secluded life through summer. I have made catchpools 

 by casing them only with puddled clay. One disadvantage of 

 this is, in a long dry time the water gets low, and the clay 

 sides becoming exposed, contract, crack, and allow the water 

 to run to waste if they are not looked to when rain does come. 

 There is also another way in which I have had catchpools 

 made where natural gravel abounds, namelj^ to make it 

 into concrete, and case the bottom and sides with this only. 

 It answers well, and saves the labour and expense of getting 

 bricks from a distance. Every feeder knows that dry barley 

 and buckwheat in sheaf, and stacked in the vicinity of the 

 preserves, and some pulled out and shaken about occasionally, 

 with a change of maize, will keep pheasants in good condition ; 

 but it does not occur to everyone that a good supply of water 

 near their feeding ground has a considerable influence on their 

 habits. After feeding heartily on dry food, they will stray 

 for water if there be none handy, and will stay away afterwards 

 till hungry again, thus running the risk of being shot during 

 their wanderings. To keep pheasants in their own coverts, take 

 means of making them fond of them, even though there be no 

 water near I have found Jerusalem artichokes the best means 

 of attraction. They are so fond of these tubers that they will 

 hunt them by sight or smell from any obscure corner. Give 

 them also potatoes (small and large), mangold wurtzel, carrots» 



