I30 THE RABBIT 



The number of traps required will of course de- 

 pend upon the extent of ground and the abundance 

 or scarcity of coneys. It is not advisable to put down 

 all the traps at once, but to begin with a few, and 

 keep on increasing the number each day until they 

 are all in use. 



Since the Ground Game Act of 1880 came into 

 operation, it has become illegal for anyone except 

 an owner in occupation of his own land to set gins 

 anywhere except within the mouth of a burrow, on 

 account of the risk if set aboveground of catching 

 pheasants or partridges, foxes or hounds. On this 

 account, therefore, the directions given in old books for 

 setting traps in hedge-banks, under walls or fences, or 

 in ' rijns ' across open fields, must now be disregarded. 



In the words of the Act (43 & 44 Vict. cap. 47) 

 'no person shall, for the purpose of killing ground 

 game, employ spring traps except in rabbits' holes.' 

 It has been decided, however, by the Court of 

 Queen's Bench (November 26, 1885), in the case of 

 Smith V. Hutit that this section does not apply to 

 owners occupying their own land. 



The Act referred to is of such importance to 



those who are interested in rabbits, whether as owners, 



occupiers, or shooting tenants, that we propose in 



another chapter ' to give a brief exposition of its pro- 



' See Chapter VII. 



