FEATHERED OUTCASTS. 117 



true, but surely that is not a capital offence ? Protect 

 the Starling he is one of the most useful of birds. 



In bringing these few remarks to a close, it is well to 

 point out that Game Birds cannot be kept too quiet, or 

 be left too much to themselves during the breeding 

 season. Keepers, in search of "vermin," they would 

 say, go blundering through the coverts, firing guns, and 

 disturbing game birds from their nests right and left. 

 Pheasants and Partridges when leaving their eggs vo- 

 luntarily cover them with leaves and dead herbage ; but 

 when hurriedly alarmed they leave them exposed a 

 temptation to any predatory bird or animal passing by. 

 Hen Pheasants and parent Partridges are well able to 

 guard and protect their broods ; and it is only reason- 

 able to infer that game on those estates where Hawks 

 and Crows are shot off is weaker than that in coverts 

 where such birds are allowed to live. The weak and 

 the sick are likely to fall a prey to predaceous birds, 

 arid do not have much chance of breeding and trans- 

 mitting their diseases and weakness to posterity. Again, 

 Hawks, Magpies, Jays, and Owls, do not haunt the game 

 coverts for the sake of preying upon the Pheasants 

 and Partridges. They would be short of food if they 

 did. They love these woods because they can find 

 seclusion and quiet in them during the breeding season ; 

 and I know of woods where these birds are absolutely 

 abundant, and not a head of game is preserved in them. 



