54 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
let. As far as sporting rights on Crown and Commission land 
are concerned, these can invariably only be claimed by tenancy 
of land, but if Commissioners actually hold sporting rights 
they can legally let them if desirous of doing so. River Com- 
missioners and the Crown neither assist nor resist shooters on 
tidal foreshores, as a rule. In the case of land rented from 
the Commissioners, the tenant must carry out any prosecutions 
which may be taken against offenders. Subletting of sporting 
rights of Crown lands or land held from Commissioners, 
appears to be a question of disposal of rights not vested in the 
tenant, and therefore would, in a court of law, appear as some- 
thing which could not stand as a legal transaction ; conse- 
quently a person renting shooting from a tenant of the Crown 
cannot stand as the shooting tenant, since the sporting rights 
alone cannot be let. The only way for the shooter to obtain 
the shooting by payment would be by mutual agreement with 
the land tenant, but in case of a breach of the mutual con- 
tract there could be no recourse in law against the wrong- 
doer. 
The legal tract of foreshore, where no Crown grants 
exist, over which the public may sport is that between the 
high-tide mark and low-water mark. Above the high-tide 
mark rent may be paid for the grazing, and in the tenancy 
some power to prevent shooting may exist. Of course shooting 
from a footpath is illegal, but where the locality is remote and 
the danger from so doing is of no account and the shooting is 
not restricted, the practice is not noticed. With regard to 
gathering birds falling on private land, the custom of leaving 
the gun on land where one has a right and then retrieving the 
spoil is recognised as in order. A dog, of course, may be 
legally used for such a purpose, but must not be allowed to 
range wantonly over the private land. 
County Councils have the power to make orders regulating 
the times during which wild birds may be shot. These orders, 
