ii6 THE RABBIT 



in the deer park at pleasure. They were never allowed 

 to establish burrows in the two inclosures named, and 

 as there was plenty of fern and rough grass in them, 

 there was no lack of covert for shooting purposes. 



' A good many rabbitswere bred in another part of 

 the deer park. To get at these, a portion of the best 

 feeding ground was kept free from burrows. The 

 same tactics were pursued inside the warren. Large 

 patches of ground alongside the wall were set apart, 

 the fern mown down at times to improve the grass, 

 and all holes dug out. The rabbits were not allowed 

 to feed on these patches and inclosures for a few days 

 before the day of shooting, and great was the anxiety 

 of all concerned when the night for the " pitch " arrived. 

 This was, of course, the night before the appointed 

 shooting day, and the bag depended on the wind and 

 weather being favourable. Everything was kept as 

 quiet as possible inside the park and warren, and as 

 soon as the proper moment had come, when the 

 rabbits were supposed to be well on the feed (this 

 varied with circumstances), the doors in the wall were 

 shut and locked, and long nets of the usual square- 

 meshed stop pattern were set between the burrows 

 and feeding patches. Sometimes the whole thing was 

 a failure. Thick fog or heavy rain will keep rabbits 

 at home effectually. When the ' pitch ' was successful 



