126 GAME TRESERVERS AND BIRD PRESERVERS. 



All the summer montlis cats are too busy 

 killing birds to meddle with them. And they 

 bite and birds do not. Few would believe the 

 distance cats travel. We have met them three 

 miles from home. In the Highlands we would 

 not let a cottage or croft except on the con- 

 dition that no cats were kept, if we paid a few 

 shillings a year extra. 



These shepherds' cats all get their own 

 living, and they kill every partridge and every 

 grouse which tries to breed within a mile of 

 their houses. 



Grouse constantly come into the peat bogs 

 to breed, but before they have been there a 

 month one or other bird is sure to be taken. 



One gentleman thinks it most hard ' that cats 

 cannot visit his neighbours' woods without being 

 killed or maimed by the keepers.' Does he ever 

 ask himself what these cats go to the woods for ? 

 Certainly not to catch rats and mice, which are 

 far more numerous close at home. They go to 

 kill our birds which we pass laws to protect, 



