22 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



Towards the close of the last century, when guns 

 became much improved, and shooting flying a common 

 practice, a keener taste was developed for shooting, 

 the attention of landowners being directed to their 

 estates to afford sport with the gun. 



They soon discovered that pheasants could, with 

 care, be increased in numbers ; and hence for 

 years the birds were systematically encouraged by 

 the simple though self-denying process of allow- 

 ing no hens to be shot ! Even as late as 1830 

 it was the custom of a host to fine a guest for 

 the local poor box if he was seen to kill a hen 

 pheasant. 



This protection soon caused pheasants to become 

 numerous, and of course popular as an article of 

 food, and more eagerly sought after by shooters, 

 especially by those who did not preserve, or respect 

 the hen birds. 



But the game preservers resorted to other methods 

 when they found that the birds, if allowed to rear 

 their young in a wild state, wandered greatly for this 

 object, as indeed they do now, and were bagged by 

 outside gunners, who slew cocks and hens that was 

 the sore point without showing any mercy to the 

 latter. 



For this reason (about 1840) the plan of rearing 

 the pheasants at home, with farmyard hens, from 

 eggs gathered out of the nests in the woods and 

 fields, earne into fashion, with the consequent satis- 



