THE CARRION CROW. 95 
reckon up how many times the keeper has disturbed 
the game by going in search of this bird, and thus 
exposed the nests of partridges and pheasants to 
certain destruction by vermin of all kinds; and then, 
if we take into the account the many heads of game 
which the keeper has killed in his steel traps and 
rabbit-snares, we should conclude, I think, that, in 
the long run, the game actually suffers more from 
the keeper, in his attempts to destroy the crow, than 
it really does from the crow itself, while catering 
for its young. Indeed, I have made out the account 
myself; and, finding the balance to be against the 
keeper, [have renewed the order which I gave to his 
predecessor, never, upon any score, to persecute 
what is commonly called flying vermin. Thus, the 
partridges and pheasants here, during the time of 
incubation, are abandoned to their own discretion: 
and I judge, from what I have seen, that old Dame 
Nature, without any interference on my part, will 
kindly continue to point out to these birds proper 
places where to lay their eggs and rear their young; 
and, moreover, I am confident she will teach them, 
by her own admirable and secret process, how to 
elude the prying scrutiny of the carrion crow. 
Should, however, the- country squire, whose eye is 
seldom quite closed to the advantages derived from 
a well-stored autumnal larder ; should he, I say, not 
have sufficient faith in the dame’s protecting care, 
it will be some consolation to him to be informed 
that, when birds of the game species lose their first 
eggs, they seldom fail to havea second hatch, which 
will be sure to find ample security from its enemies, 
