98 PARTRIDGES 



getting slack about his work, and draw- 

 ing on his imagination to supply any 

 deficiency in his returns. 



Each nest is visited as far as possible 

 once a day, the keeper not making a pro- 

 longed business of inspecting the nest, 

 but just walking close enough, without 

 stopping, to ascertain that all is well. 

 He carries with him on his rounds a 

 couple of traps for immediate use if any 

 trace of vermin be discovered, a strong 

 knife to cut branches which he may want 

 to stick into the ground round any 

 exposed nest he may find, artificial eggs 

 to replace any he may see fit to lift, and 

 a specially contrived belt in which eggs 

 may be carried and kept warm. All the 

 ground is searched twice, for the old birds 

 nest a week or so earlier than the young 

 ones. If a pair of old birds usurp an un- 

 due extent of territory for their nesting 

 operations, they sometimes have to be 

 cleared out. Each man knows that as 

 soon as the partridge uncovers her eggs 

 he must on no account go near the nest 



