2^2 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



and the ground around disturbed, to the ruin of 

 the rest of the decoy. 



The worst vermin that will, if they are per- 

 mitted to do so, haunt and be destructive to the 

 decoy and to the fowl who breed in the vicinity, 

 are the carrion crow, the moor falcon, or hen 

 harrier, the magpie and the house-rat, the stoat 

 and the weasel. The latter, the weasel, in a 

 decoy is the least destructive of the lot. 



A fox is also most destructive to wild fowl ; 

 but I do not look on the fox as a ^S^ermin," but 

 simply as a creature that repays the mounted 

 sportsman tenfold for any mischief lie has occa- 

 sioned to the man who walks. 



I have observed in my decoy that though I 

 have destroyed every carrion crow in the vicinity, 

 and not seen one for five months, no sooner are 

 their eggs laid about the moors and the deco}', 

 than several carrion crows put in an appearance. 



Some of these old thieves may probably be 

 those who, in the last breeding season, had left 

 a leg or foot in some of my traps, and who re- 

 turned to their old hunting-grounds well aware 

 of the purposely- put temptations as well as the 

 danger tliat awaited them. I liavc seen tliese 



