but, beginning with a single hare or partridge, they have incurred the displeasure of their master, have been thrown out of work, and almost compelled to carry on their unlawful vocation. From all these the keepers and watchers have to protect the game, and this at all hours and seasons. Every year they assume some new mode of attack, and countermine as fast as the keeper forms his schemes for detecting them.

There are several precautions which every keeper regularly takes, varying according to the locality where his beat is fixed. Everywhere, however, he, as well as all his watchers, must obtain a knowledge of the persons of all the poachers in his district, and this alone will greatly serve to keep them quiet. Poachers will never go, by choice, where they know they are sure to be recognised; while, on the other hand, wherever there is a keeper who relies upon his brute strength, the poacher goes at once, preferring a good thrashing, or the chance of a shot, to the certainty of identification, which spoils all his after prospects. The moment he goes into court all the keepers in the neighbourhood put their mark upon him, and he must work an uphill game in all directions. There are certain nights when the keeper's experience tells him that particular kinds of poaching will be practised, and on these he will take especial care to watch the poacher and all his gang, by the aid of his assistants. In some counties this is comparatively easy, but in wooded districts it is almost impossible, if the poacher's cottage is surrounded by trees; but as far as may be the plan should be carried out, and instead of allowing the poacher to watch him, the keeper should be the most on the alert. In open countries, a telescope serves the cause, and one man on a commanding spot can blockade two or three cottages till the evening sets in, when, to make sure, one watcher must be set on each doubtful offender. In this way it is very difficult to elude detection, and as in very dark, as well as very light, nights nothing will be likely to be attempted, there is nearly half the month in which watching is very little required. In pitch dark nights nothing can be done for want of light, while in strong moonlight identification is almost as easy as in bright daylight and the poacher, unless he is greatly pressed for money, will seldom risk it. A dim light, which will just

enable him to see a pheasant as a dark body in the trees, is the one selected; and if there is a strong wind to drown the sound of the gun, so much the better. Hence it is that the mock-pheasant is so useful in deceiving these men; for if it is examined at the full moon, it will never be mistaken for the real bird. Nothing annoys the poacher more, for he hates to shoot without any result; and, if these decoys are well made, no eye can tell the real from the counterfeit. The following is a cheap and good plan of making them. They are very easily moved from branch to branch, a nail being merely driven into a probable perch, and standing upright, it is received into the hole drilled in the body, which is thus secured from falling, while it sways gently backwards and forwards, exactly like the living bird. Fig. 100 represents a the perfect bird, of which b is a section; c shows the pole from which the bodies are cut, and d the lath forming the tail, fastened on with two nails.

For partridges bushing is the best remedy that can be adopted against the nets, which are yearly swept over the ground wherever the poacher thinks he can do so with impunity. The bushes are often stuck in the ground at regular intervals and in straight rows, but this should never be done as the poachers sweep the nets up between the lines and thus set the bushing at defiance. They should be stuck into the

ground at about twenty yards distance from each other, but as irregularly as possible. Wheat stubbles and upland grass are the most probable roosting places of these birds, but barley stubbles without seeds are nearly as likely, and even the seeds themselves are sometimes chosen. Few labourers sleep through the night without being aware of the use of the net, which cannot be drawn without some noise, and if they like they can always give the keeper warning and stop the netting at once.

Hares are taken by gate nets, after stopping all the meuses in the field, when a mute dog soon drives all within it into the net. Or they are snared in the fatal wire, or caught in small bag nets placed over some of the meuses, the others being stopped. The nets are the most fatal methods because they are soon put down and soon taken up again, whereas the wires require some little time to set. Long nets are sometimes set in the open, and the hares driven into them, and wires are also set on their runs, where they are caught even more easily than in the meuse. Hares and rabbits always stop and examine the meuse unless closely pressed, but they run carelessly along in the open, and put their necks within the snare without the slightest hesitation. An artist in his line will scarcely miss a hare if he is left undisturbed, and allowed to inspect the ground freely beforehand. So also in coverts, they are completely cleared by the clever poacher in a very short time, if he is permitted to get into them and set his wires. Long netting both for hares and partridges is the most difficult to circumvent, excepting by watching the poachers themselves and so taking care that they cannot meet together in any number without its being known. Scarcely any known method will stop it, for the nets may be fixed anywhere, and as the game is driven into them no bushing or similar set of obstacles is of any use.

The Scotch poachers in the Highland districts are very difficult to counteract, because they have such a wide scope, and can seldom be caught unawares. Even in the daytime they manage to get to leeward of the keepers and watchers, and thus are able to proceed in their task, shooting away till they have killed as much as they can carry. Grouse are netted in large numbers before the season and kept till they can be

sold, which I trust in future will not be till after the 11th of August. Here a first-rate keeper is required, aided by a clever set of watchers, and they will have their hands full just before the season, and towards the latter part of it, when the shooters are not so thick on the ground.

From the many difficulties which I have shown to exist in counteracting the poacher when he has once set to work, I must impress upon my readers the importance of taking every precaution to keep him blockaded at home. This requires a considerable number of watchers who are to be depended on, but after all it is the only effectual way, and as such is the cheapest in the end. The grand secret in game preserving is to depend upon the prevention of mischief in its commencement, and not upon stopping it when it has gained its full swing. Many a man would stay at home if he knew that he was going to risk a murder, but if his blood is up, his pride and his obstinacy, or courage if you like to call it so, alike prevent him from allowing himself to be foiled.

GENERAL REMARKS-ENGLISH GAME LAW OF 1831-LAW FOR PERMITTING THE KILLING OF HARES IN ENGLAND-SCOTCH LAWS, INCLUDING THAT PERMITTING THE KILLING OF HARES, AND ALSO THE LAW OF TRESPASS-IRISH GAME LAWS.

THE limited space which can be given to this subject in the present work prevents me from entering into the history of these laws, and I must confine my attention to the working of those parts of them which more especially concern the shooter. It is most unfortunate that the laws relating to game differ most essentially in England, Ireland, and Scotland-so that a sportsman who is only acquainted with the law of one of these countries, is constantly liable to break that which prevails in either of the others. This still

further restricts my remarks, as it will be necessary to show the sportsmen of the three countries the position in which they stand.

THE ENGLISH GAME LAWS.

To the general reader, for whom alone these remarks are intended, it may be necessary to premise, that offences of all kinds are punishable by the common law, which is dependent upon the practice of the courts, and is unwritten; and also by statute laws, which from time to time have been made by the Acts of our Parliament. In the case of game there are several of the latter kind now in existence, as the Game Law of 1831; the law permitting the killing of hares; the law regulating certificates, &c., &c. Now, if it happens that the punishment for an offence is clearly provided for by the statute law, there is no difficulty, and comparatively little expense; but if, on the contrary, the common law must be had recourse to, an action must be brought in the ordinary courts, and a heavy outlay is required. Sometimes the proof of an act having been committed required by the two laws is quite different-as in the case of trespass, which, by the common law, is committed by a person who remains upon a road, but sends his dog into the fields to beat to him. This offence, however, does not come under the definition of the 3rd and 4th William IV., c. 32, which demands an actual "being upon the soil" of the person of the trespasser. The mere damage done in the trespass is also generally so trifling, and the proceedings at common law are so expensive, that few people like to have recourse to it; and in my opinion, if an offence is not clearly made out by one of the statutes made to apply to such cases, it is better under ordinary circumstances to put up with the consequences.

The experience of the last twenty five years tells us that the present law is by no means as satisfactory as it might be made; but while there is so strong a feeling against any game law, as there is now in a large section of the people, it is dangerous to make the attempt to alter it. If, however, the task should be forced upon the Legislature; or if, at any future time, the Government should feel strong enough to carry a new bill, the following suggestions, made by Colonel