KEEPERS AND KEEPERING 401 



concerned, and the practice of stock regulation is dealt with 

 elsewhere. 1 But from the game-preserving point of view it 

 is important that a note should be made of the proportion of 

 old birds to young, of hen birds to cocks, of barren birds to the 

 parents of broods. By a careful comparison of statistics thus 

 collected the gamekeeper may be able to study such important 

 problems of moor management as the following : The amount 

 of winter stock his ground will carry ; to what extent varying 

 conditions of weather and food affect the proportion of young 

 birds to old ; to what extent the destruction of old cocks and 

 barren pairs influences the number of breeding pairs on his 

 ground. In his investigations into the condition of the birds 

 brought to bag the gamekeeper should remember that the 

 weight of a bird is the best test of health, and he should not 

 scorn the assistance of the spring balance. Everything possible 

 should be done to ensure that all wounded birds are collected 

 and put in the bag; a pricked "piner" becomes a ready victim 

 to disease, and consequently a danger to the moor. 



After the regular shooting is over for the season the keeper Destruc- 

 should, with the permission of the owner, do a little private ^J^ fol 

 shooting on his own account, killing down the old cocks whenever 

 he can, either by shooting them down in the green burns or 

 low ground, or by stalking them round the rocky knolls. If 

 too big a stock is left he must get the birds killed in any way 

 that his master will allow. 



In September and October in England (and in November in Autumn 

 Scotland) he will get his first chance of heather-burning, and 

 thus discount the possibility of an unfavourable burning season 

 in the spring. Doubtless during the shooting season he has 

 marked down sundry patches of old heather which urgently 

 require to be broken up, and he should not feel that the year has 

 been a success unless he has at least endeavoured to reduce these 

 patches to smaller dimensions. 



During the winter the keeper's work is less arduous : the Duties in 

 stock by this time is packed and strong on the wing ; it requires 



1 Vide chap. xv. pp. 415 et seq. 



2 C 



