Cocks and Hens. 63 



pheasants are polygamous, the stronger males driving away 

 the weaker, and taking possession of several hens to constitute 

 their seraglios ; hence the custom to shoot down most of the 

 cocks, and leave all the hens, even the oldest to breed. It is 

 probable that this procedure is frequently carried too far, 

 and in confirmation of this view I have much pleasure in 

 quoting Mr. J. D. Dougall, who, in his " Shooting Simplified," 

 says :" It is customary to shoot cock pheasants only, and to 

 impose a fine upon the sportsmen who break this rule, the money 

 being escheated to the head keeper, or apphed to defray the 

 expenses of a dinner at the end of the season, when shootings 

 are rented by a party of gentlemen. This rule is very frequently 

 overstretched. It should not be forgotten that the desired 

 end may be frustrated by having too many hens, as well as by 

 having too few, and in whatever way the disproportion of sexes 

 is caused, the result — reduction in increase — is the same. 

 If the cocks are continually killed doAvn, few male birds will 

 arrive at that complete maturity so essential to producing 

 a healthy stock. On the other hand, if the hens are continually 

 spared, they will not only grow out of proportion to the number 

 of cocks, but the aged hens will beat off the two and three year 

 old birds. Very old hens should certainly be destroyed. 

 The most prolific are the two and three year old birds." 



A correspondent, who supports this view, writes : " It is 

 very certain that in many instances too few cocks are frequently 

 left in preserved coverts at the end of the season ; it is also' 

 notorious that in the neighbourhood of many preserves a nide 

 of above fourteen birds (and I have known eighteen) is not 

 infrequently produced from an outlying cock and hen occupying 

 some detached covert, and yields the best birds of the season 

 when the 1st of October arrives. With respect to the propor- 

 tion of cocks to be left much may be written about it, depending 

 upon all circumstances connected with the ground under the 

 entire control of the individual seeking to preserve a given stock 

 of pheasants. In all cases in my opinion, too much forbearance 

 is shown to hens early in the season, and much too little towards- 



