ENEMIES OF IIAEE. 123 



times, two or three hundred of the peasantry to beat his 

 forests and woods. I have been at these battues many 

 years ago in the kingdom of Hanover. In France where 

 all the feudal rights have been abrogated by the national 

 convention, the proprietor of a wood or forest is able to 

 have his battue by paying the peasants a small sum, 

 although I believe the Prefet has the power of calling 

 out part of the population of the communes to beat the 

 forest for the destruction of wolves when they become 

 too numerous and destructive to the farmer's cattle. 



For the table, I consider the mountain and hill hare 

 preferable to the wood and field hares. They are cer- 

 tainly not in general so large, but as they travel a consi- 

 derable distance for their food, their flesh is more firm 

 and of a better flavour. \Yhen hares and rabbits feed 

 in pastures which have been recently flooded, they are 

 very apt to die of the disease called the rot. A friend of 

 mine has lately found in such a moist situation, a consi- 

 derable number of hares and rabbits dead of this disease. 



There are two very formidable enemies of the hare — 

 jjoachers and vermin. A gamekeeper must keep a sharp 

 look out on the former, especially examining the runs 

 of the hare in the hedgerows and other frequented paths 

 in the woods, where the poacher is most likely to set his 

 snares, as in many villages there are found men of this 

 description, who are au fait at this part of the poaching 

 system, but who do not venture to shoot pheasants on 

 the perch at night. The gamekeeper should also con- 

 stantly keejD his traps set, especially during the breeding 

 season of the vermin, when the jDolecat, stoat, and weasel, 

 are diligently employed foraging for their young ones. 

 I am fully aware it would be high treason against pvig, 

 whoj from his cunning and agility, and excellent nose. 



