130 REMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAX. 



bourhood of Londonderry, who supply the Liverpool 

 markets ; now that steam communication is established 

 between Belfast and this port, rabbits at Londonderry 

 are sold for one shilling a couple. What is rather 

 singular, I shot for two years in the counties of Carlow 

 and Waterford, about forty-five years ago, and to the 

 best of my reollection I never saw a wild rabbit during 

 that period, rarely a hare, and very few partridges, but 

 I had excellent woodcock and snipe shooting. However, 

 this is not to be wondered at, as at that period the Irish 

 game laws were not enforced, and every man who pos- 

 sessed a dog and gun went out shooting — little notice 

 being taken whether or not he had a game certificate, 

 the price of which was inconsiderable compared to that 

 paid in England. There is no dog tax in Ireland, 

 and it is stated by a gentleman, that when the curs 

 become too numerous in his neighbourhood, he gives 

 orders to his gamekeeper to diminish the number by 

 some doses of strychnine. The Irish gentlemen now 

 take a greater interest in the preservation of their game, 

 and in some counties the sportsman will find no scarcity 

 of pheasants, partridges, or hares. 



To accomplish this object the gamekeepers are well 

 paid, the head keeper being sometimes a native of 

 Norfolk or Suffolk, who is skilful in the destruction of 

 vermin. Some gentlemen, who preserve their grouse 

 on the mountains, have poison laid for the purpose of 

 destroying the dogs of poachers ; this I think rather a 

 dangerous expedient, as the gamekeeper may sometimes 

 forget where he has placed the poison, in consequence 

 of which his master may lose some valuable dogs ; be- 

 sides, the lower class of Irish are very revengeful, and 

 if any of their dogs become the victims of this poison 



