PHEASANTS IN COVERT AND AVIARY 



amount promised, the nest having been discovered full of 

 shells. Later, however, the keeper discovered that after 

 giving the information concerning the nest, the informant 

 had returned and removed the eggs, sold them to a keeper 

 on an adjacent estate, and received from the latter the 

 empty shells which he had placed in the nest, and it was 

 on the discovery of these shells that he received his reward. 



Another method adopted by a gentleman who owned 

 a large shooting, and who believed that for one egg stolen 

 for game, a dozen were taken for eating, was found to 

 be particularly applicable. He realised that a hen's egg 

 would be appreciated more than that of a Partridge or 

 Pheasant, and so offered one of the former for each one 

 of the latter found. Although long since dead, this practice 

 is still carried out on the estates in the districts where he 

 lived. 



The relationship between the gamekeeper and labourers 

 has much to do with the saving of eggs, as naturally if on 

 friendly terms with a keeper, a labourer will not go out 

 of his way to annoy him by tampering with the nests, and 

 thus the loss in this way will be very small. 



128 



