90 Formation of Pens. 



forming the only opening into the liasket. Before being 

 used this opening should be covered Avitli canvas, which is to 

 be closely stitched down halfway round, previously to the 

 birds being placed inside, and firmly secured afterwards. In 

 these baskets they are free from observation and molestation 

 when travelling by rail or carrier, and from the baskets being 

 close and circular they are much less hable to injure their 

 plumage than when sent in more open and angular packages. 

 In forwarding live birds care should always be taken to attach 

 a stout and somewhat loose cord across the top of the basket, 

 in order to serve as a convenient handle by which it can be 

 hfted with one hand, otherwise, in the hurry of transit, the 

 railway porters, who cannot be expected to use both 

 hands in lifting every package, are certain to catch it 

 up suddenly by one side, and the birds are often severely 

 injured by being suddenly and violently thrown against the 

 opposite one. 



For longer journeys, such as the transport of pheasants 

 from abroad, the following instructions were drawn up for 

 the Pioj^al Zoological Society by Dr. P. L. Slater and Mr. A. D. 

 Bartlett for the benefit of those desirous of forwarding the 

 various species to England. 



" Instructions for the Transport of Pheasants and 

 OTHER Gallinaceous Birds. 



" 1. For exportation, birds bred or reared in captivity 

 should, if possible, be procured. But if this cannot be done, 

 the following rules should be attended to as regards wild- 

 caught birds : 



"2. As soon as the birds are captured, the feathers of 

 one wing and of the tail should be cut off tolerably close 

 to their bases. The birds should be placed in a room hghted 

 only from a skyhght above, and having the floor sprinkled 

 with gravel or sand, mixed with tufts of grass and roots and 

 a httle earth. Among these the food should be thrown. 

 A tame bird placed with the wild ones is of great advantage. 



