142 THE RABBIT 



learn to feed earlier in the evening, and will contrive 

 to get their supper before the time comes for running 

 them in. They will then be out again for breakfast at 

 daylight, when netting them would be impracticable. 



A modified form of ' long-net ' is the ' gate-net ' 

 (or ' sheet-net ' as it is called in some parts of the 

 country) used for taking hares. This is about six 

 feet wide, and six or seven yards long. When sup- 

 ported on sticks it stands about a yard high, the 

 lower half being spread on the ground towards the 

 gateway in front of which it is hung. 



A still smaller net, the ' purse-net,' is used for 

 taking hares as they come through a meuse. It is 

 made something like a landing-net but longer, with a 

 running string through every mesh round the mouth 

 of it. This kind of net is inserted in a meuse through 

 which a hare is expected to pass, with the opening of 

 course facing the covert or ground about to be driven. 

 Two or three of the top meshes are forced into the 

 interstices of the wall to keep the net up, and are 

 held there with pieces of short stick, or it may be 

 with little lumps of stiff clay, if there happens to be 

 any at hand. The end of the running string is 

 fastened to a peg which is driven into the ground, and 

 all is then in readiness. The dog does the rest, and 

 the hare if anywhere within reach is very soon in the 



