POACHING PARTRIDGES 75 



thirty yards in length and ten in depth. Such is the 

 average size. A more deadly engine is forty yards 

 long and measures in depth twelve yards. In either 

 case it is made with a two-inch-square mesh. The 

 material of which the net is constructed varies with 

 the nature of the ground. Where the land is much 

 bushed, the net in general use is made of strong pack- 

 thread, but a favourite material is silk. The latter is 

 of course more expensive than pack-thread, but it is 

 lighter and stronger. It has also a special advantage, 

 that it occupies less space than the thread net, and 

 can be wound round the body without awakening any 

 unkind suspicions. In either case a heavy cord is 

 attached to the bottom of the net to keep it on the 

 ground. Some men attach pieces of lead to the 

 bottom of the net when purposing to drag any 

 rough land : this expedient is most often put into 

 practice when stubble fields are jtiie scenes of opera- 

 tion. A cord is fastened to each end of the net, which 

 must be worked by at least two persons ; a third 

 assistant often facilitates the labours of the two prin- 

 cipals. As a rule poachers choose grass and clover 

 fields for their nocturnal incursions, especially if the 

 ground is broken and somewhat undulating. 



Partridges prefer to roost on gentle elevations. It 

 might be supposed that the finer the night the better 



