110 Laying and Hatching. 



rain, and is dried quicker by the wind and sun ; and the pens 

 ;are readily shifted by one person. The eggs are removed by 

 shifting the netting at the top, and taken out by means of a 

 small Sin. or 4in. landing net. 



There are many locahties in which such a plan would be 

 ■exceedingly convenient. It is needless to saj that the sanitary 

 precaution of shifting the pens every day should be rigidly 

 insisted upon. If the ground is allowed to become foul by 

 keeping the birds on the same space for several days, disease 

 would inevitably ensue ; but, small as the space is, in conse- 

 quence of the birds being continually over fresh, untainted 

 Lground, I am assured they do exceedingly well. I should 

 Jiave imagined that the number of birds in so small a pen 

 ■would have been too great, but I am told that six hens have 

 •done as well in these small movable pens as a less number. 

 Although I have had no experience of this mode of keeping 

 pheasants, not having seen it put into practice, I think it is 

 quite worthy of the attention of all pheasant rearers ; therefore 

 I have great pleasure in publishing this account. It is obvious 

 that the plan possesses one great advantage over the use 

 •of large open pens — namely, it is not necessary to pinion the 

 birds or cut the wing feathers, consequently at the end of tb" 

 laying season they can be let out into the open with full 

 ■security against the attacks of dogs and foxes. The pens 

 ■can be strengthened by a small lath or bar screwed across 

 each corner, and to this can be tied a spruce branch, under 

 which the hens can lay, and the netting, I should have said, 

 is most readily secured by being tied down to IMn. screw 

 ■eyes. Another advantage arising from the plan of frequently 

 shifting the pens is that a supply of fresh grass is provided by 

 each movement. 



There can be no question of the advantages which follow 

 from the system of picking up eggs from wild birds on the estate 

 ■on which they are to be shot. But this can only be done on 

 an extensive scale on estates where the stock of pheasants 

 themselves, as at Elsenham, is numerous. It may happen on 



