64 Protection in Covert. 



cocks at the end. The safe plan, in all cases,, is to adapt one 

 or two small coverts, as much in the centre of your ground as 

 possible, as feeding places for your stock birds, and before 

 the middle of December the exact number of birds which by 

 judicious management you have collected there may be ascer- 

 tained by a few days' careful observation. With attention 

 and the greatest forbearance towards these (no old cocks 

 being left among their number), you may kill freely elsewhere, 

 and insure to your friends and yourself plenty of sport the 

 following season from them and their progeny." 



With regard to the proportion of sexes to be left in the 

 coverts, it is difficult to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. 



One writer states : " It would be to the advantage of pre- 

 servers of pheasants if they would, before it is too late, refrain 

 from shooting the cock birds too close, as most game preservers, 

 I presume, wish to have as good and numerous a stock of 

 pheasants as they can for breeding ; and the reason why so 

 many are disappointed in this respect is for want of more cock 

 birds. There should be left at least one cock for every three 

 hens, as eggs then would be more plentiful, the chicks stronger, 

 and better able to contend with a wet season and the numerous 

 enemies they have to battle with." Mr. W. Lort advocated 

 one cock to five hens. 



The frequent occurrence of old barren hens that have 

 assumed either wholly or in part the plumage of the male is 

 a proof, if one were wanting, that in many coverts the old 

 worn out hens are left longer than is desirable or profitable. 



The chapters on the " Management of Pheasants in Pre- 

 serves " would be incomplete without the consideration of 

 the best means of protecting them against their numerous 

 enemies. The chief four-footed depredators are cats, foxes, 

 hedgehogs, and stoats. Their other enemies are feathered 

 and unfeathered. Of these the unfeathered bipeds, known 

 as poachers, are perhaps the most destructive. By far the 

 greater number of pheasants purloined by the poacher are 

 shot at night ; this destruction may be prevented in great part, 



