25 Pheasants. 



laying-time twice a day in the morning between ten and 

 eleven, and in the afternoon between four and five. When 

 collecting, put them small end downwards in a box of bran. 

 They should be kept in a tray of this, and be turned every 

 day. One should then have a number of farmyard hens 

 of the approved type ready to sit, and as sittings of 

 thirteen to fifteen are made up, the hens can be set. As 

 soon as the young birds are sufficiently matured to turn 

 down this can be done. They are best placed for a fort- 

 night or so in the enclosure in the covert before having 

 entire range of the place. The several hatchings of the 

 penned hen pheasants are left to the tender mercies of the 

 mother to be reared, and are also given full liberty as soon 

 as their size and strength warrant it. This mode of 

 introducing pheasants represents the simplest and most 

 reasonable manner of making a start in pheasant-pre- 

 serving. Some points which may not be clear to the 

 novice will be discussed in subsequent chapters when 

 dealing with matters on a larger scale. 



