Vegetable Food. 123 



The greater the variety of food the better; therefore, in 

 addition to the articles before spoken of, a little crushed 

 hempseed, millet, dari, and coarse Indian corn meal, if fresh, 

 ma}' be added. 



As the mode of treating pheasant chicks by different 

 breeders varies considerably, it is desirable that I should 

 indicate the management which has been found successful 

 in other hands. I will first quote the directions of the Jate 

 Mr. Bartlett, the superintendent of the gardens of the 

 Zoological Society, Eegent's Park. This paper was written 

 for Mr. D. G. EUiot's " Monograph on the Phasianidte," and 

 I beg to return my thanks to these gentlemen for permission 

 to quote it in extenso. Mr. Bartlett writes : " At first the 

 chicks require soft food, but not very moist. One of the 

 best things to give them is hard-boiled egg grated fine, and 

 mixed with good sweet meal, a little bruised hempseed, and 

 finely chopped green food, such as lettuce, cabbage, water- 

 cress, or mustard and cress. Meal mixed with boiled milk 

 until it is Hke a tough dough, sufficiently dry to crumble 

 easily, together with a small quantity of millet and canary 

 seed, is also excellent for them. A baked custard pudding, 

 made of well-beaten eggs and milk, is likewise of great 

 service to the young ; and, if the season is wet and cold, a 

 little pepper, and sufficient dry meal to render it stifT enough 

 to crumble, should be added before baking. Ants' eggs, meal 

 worms, and grasshoppers are also very useful. The first 

 of these are easily obtained in a dry state, in which con- 

 dition they can be kept many months, and are invaluable. 

 Care should be taken that fresh and finely-chopped green 

 food should be given daily. Many persons are in the habit 

 of giving gentles to young birds ; there is great danger in 

 these ; and I merely mention them, without recommending 

 their use ; for, unless the person who gives them will take 

 the trouble to keep them for some time in moist sand or damp 

 earth until they have become thoroughly cleansed, they are 

 apt to cause purging. Many valuable birds have been lost 



