neighbours. No doubt a law which should make the sale of the eggs of game birds altogether illegal would add to the difficulty of procuring them, but then it would still more diminish the necessity for them, because there would be more nests naturally brought to maturity.

There are three modes in which eggs may legitimately be obtained-1st, From nests which are found in mowing grass, and which are chiefly those of partridges; 2ndly, by taking away a certain number from each nest without disturbing the old birds; and 3rdly, by keeping tame pheasants in confinement for the express purpose. Of these the first is the least useful, because the eggs are almost always partially set on, and unless a "broody" bantam hen is at hand they will be rapidly spoiled. Machines known as Incubators have been suggested in lieu of these birds, but there are few gamekeepers who can manage them; and, I believe, they would seldom pay for their cost. Some keepers take care to have three or four hens always sitting during the mowing season, and by substituting the eggs of the partridge or pheasant for their own, the value of which is not very great, the former are brought to maturity. This resource, however, is not one on which great reliance can be placed.

The second plan is one which is largely practised by some most successful game-preservers, but it is chiefly applicable to pheasants. As I have already remarked, very few henpheasants rear more than eight birds, though they lay from ten to fourteen eggs, or even sometimes a greater number. The difference between the number of the eggs and of the resulting birds arises from the death, produced by exposure to the weather, of those young birds which the mother cannot cover with her wings; and it is found that if she has only seven or eight to begin with she will rear them all, and they will also be far stronger and better fed birds, from the hen being enabled to procure more food for them. The keeper, therefore, takes care to find each nest, and while the birds are on the evening feed he takes from it all above seven or eight, which are left to be hatched in the usual way. In an ordinary preserve this ought to give sufficient eggs for artificial rearing, with the addition of the third plan, to be next described.

Three, four, or five tame-bred hen pheasants are put into a pen with one cock, a difference of opinion existing as to the best proportion for the purpose, but this will vary much according to circumstances. Some strong healthy cocks will do better with four or even five hens than with three, while others again will scarcely fructify the eggs of the smallest number of hens mentioned. Wild birds will lay in confinement if they are put in a quiet place and not disturbed, but they will not produce nearly so many eggs, and of what they do lay a large proportion will be addled. If wild birds only can be procured, the best plan is to cut one of their wings, and make a large walled enclosure in the middle of a quiet covert, open over head, into which the wild cocks come. The hens make their nests in the usual way, and these are robbed of their eggs as fast as they are laid, taking care to leave a nest egg. Sometimes in this mode twenty eggs a piece may be procured from wild hens, but rarely above that number, while tame hens will generally lay from twentyfour to thirty eggs each. The above plan is a good one, even with tame-bred hens, which should have one of their wings cut in any case, for, however careful the breeder may be to avoid frightening them, such an event will occasionally occur, and then if full-winged they fly up against the cover, and crush their skulls or break their necks, if it is solid, or hang themselves in a mesh if it is of network. Pinioning is an unnecessary cruelty, and as it is permanent the hens can never be turned out. Moreover, the cutting of the quill feathers close to the wing bone is equally efficient if it is done as fast as the feathers grow during the moulting time.

HATCHING.

A large bantam is the best kind of hen for the purpose of hatching game eggs, but she will not cover so great a number of them in the nest, nor can she foster so many young birds from the cold as a larger hen. A game hen, or, in fact, a hen of any small breed, will do very well, and being of larger size than the bantam will hatch and rear a dozen or fourteen young pheasants or partridges. Very large hens are objectionable from their tendency to tread on the young birds, which their weight is then sure to destroy.

A box, with a lid to it, from a foot to eighteen inches square, should be provided for each hen, and when the "broodiness" is fully established, put some hay in it sufficient to make a comfortable nest, and in this place the eggs. The lid should have a number of holes cut in it with a centrebit, for ventilation, and should be capable of being fastened down with a hasp and padlock in the usual way, which will allow the box to be safely left in places where it might otherwise be liable to interference. If several hens are sitting at the same time, the eggs may be examined at the end of the first week while the hens are feeding, and then if one-quarter or one-fifth are addled, which is about the usual proportion, they are removed, and making four nests into three, or five into four, according to the numbers, one hen is set at liberty for another hatch. The mode of distinguishing the addled eggs is simple enough. Take an egg and hold it, with the hand closed round it, between the eye and a strong light, when if it is good a dark speck will be visible at the end of five or six days from the commencement of sitting. A little practice is required in this operation; but by looking at a few with care the difference is soon detected. Nevertheless, it is well to depend upon an experienced friend in the first instance. Pheasant eggs are hatched in twenty-four days; those of partridges in twenty-one.

Every hen bird naturally leaves her nest daily for a longer or shorter period in order to attend to the calls of hunger, by which another purpose is served connected with the due aeration of the eggs. On the average, three-quarters of an hour will be the time during which the hens are off, and this is sufficient to lower the temperature very considerably. As a consequence, the portion of air contained in the cell at the end of each egg contracts as it cools, and draws in through the pores of the shell a fresh supply, which, mixing with the whole quantity, affords fresh oxygen once in each day. When the heat is again raised, a part of the whole is forced out again by its expansion, and so day by day a kind of partial respiration is carried on essential to the due performance of the act of incubation, and necessarily imitated in artificial machines by lowering the temperature for an hour every day. If the hens are close sitters they

may be taken off one at a time, and left to satisfy their hunger and thirst with the food and water supplied to them, as well as to dust themselves in a heap of rubbish, which should always be at hand, after which they will return to their nests in good time, when the lids may be put down and locked. If, on the contrary, they are slack sitters, they may be taken off and put under a large coop, with food, water, and dust at hand, and at the expiration of the proper time they may be replaced on the nest by hand and covered down; but unruly hens are very apt to break their eggs in this way, and it is better to let them return of their own accord, if they will do so, but they should be carefully watched. In very warm weather the time should be a full hour, while if it is cold forty minutes will be long enough. To ensure the proper change of temperature in hot weather, some people sprinkle the eggs with cold water, and it is by no means a bad plan, especially towards the latter part of the sitting.

seen to be chipped, giving

As the hatching time approaches, while the hens are off the nest, every egg should be carefully inspected, and if there are several hens expected to come off on the same day, it should be so arranged that one should have all the first hatched, another the second, and so on. This is effected by exchanging the eggs as soon as they are all the first to one hen, who will thus be off the nest with her brood before the others. As soon as all are hatched in one nest, the hen is put under a coop with a small covered run for the young birds, in which they will remain for a few days. It should be made as follows:-A pen is made of wood on all the sides but the front, which is of wire net, and has a space at the bottom sufficient to allow the young birds to pass under but not the hen (see a b fig. 94 on next page). To this a small run, c d, is attached, and also covered with wire net, and in it the young birds are fed. The whole has a boarded floor, which should be capable of being removed at pleasure by means of pins at the angles.

The rearing commences by feeding the young birds in the above pen or coop, taking care to choose a sunny spot for it. The food should be hard boiled eggs chopped fine, mixed with rice, which should be carefully boiled in plenty of

water so as to keep every grain separate. Cooks know how to do this in boiling it for curry, and they will readily show

the method to the keeper if he is ignorant of it. Curds chopped fine may also be mixed with barley meal, which should be of such a consistency as to be capable of being divided into little pellets of the size of half a pea. Bread crumbs softened with milk; ants' eggs and scoured gentles may also be given the two last being especially useful. Change of food is most essential; and it is better never to give any of the above kinds consecutively, or at all events not more than twice, though ants' eggs can scarcely be given too freely. The feeding should be at first five or six times a-day, gradually reducing the number to three at the end of a fortnight.

In procuring the above kinds of food the great difficulty is with the ants' eggs, which are very scarce in some localities. It is worth while, however, to take a good deal of trouble to obtain them; and there are few counties which are without waste ground on which they are to be found. Next to them come the gentles, which are easily bred and scoured in the following mode:-Procure any kind of flesh, or the body of