77 Pheasants. 



food be abundant would be followed by the wild birds ; 

 in other words, as soon after daylight as is possible, and 

 about an hour or hour and a half before sundown. In 

 the latter respect, it is better to err on the score of earliness 

 than lateness, and where any great range of woodland has 

 to be gone over, the work must be so arranged as to ensure 

 all birds having ample daylight for the purposes of their 

 afternoon meal. 



Of course, do what one may, it is impossible to prevent 

 some loss of food by wood-pigeons and small birds, and 

 within reason I am not disposed to recommend much 

 notice being taken of the fact ; but where the matter 

 becomes serious, steps must be taken to deal with the 

 nuisance. I shall refer to this subject at a later stage. 



The feeding of pheasants, in fact of all game, during 

 severe weather in winter, and generally throughout the 

 winter months, is a matter for the most part quite distinct 

 from their ordinary feeding, and takes place mainly 

 within the limits of the coverts. There may be, and 

 in some cases actually are, large numbers of outlying birds 

 which, preferring the brakes and spinneys, will scarcely 

 ever require attention from the preserver in respect of extra 

 food, and which for the most part may be left out 

 of consideration. These birds, if pressed during 

 unusually hard weather, will surely find their way into the 

 coverts for both shelter and food. Consequently there is 

 rarely necessity to make special provision for their require- 

 ments, except upon those preserves which contain a con- 

 siderable quantity of small spinneys and patches of wood. 



Several considerations must weigh with those responsible 

 for the scheme of feeding adopted, more especially in 

 relation to the particular period when the food is being 

 provided. Once the shooting season is passed, the question 

 of the influence upon the birds ceases to be of importance ; 



