CHANGE OF SEASONS AND OF THE TIMES. 279 



and hedges has been increased. Within tlie last 

 six years, from the preservation of game, and 

 destruction of what were really vermin around me, 

 and the consequent prevention of trespass for birds' - 

 nesting among the idle classes, every sort of inno- 

 cent, l)eautiful, and harmonious bird has increased ; 

 or, in fact, as on my lawn, they have aj)peared where 

 they never were before. Regarding the country 

 from the widest point of view, there will be found 

 to have been fewer accidents from fire-arms since 

 the gun-tax has shelved the old fowling-pieces 

 in the cottages, with their not trustworthy cocks 

 and triggers, than there were before ; and now 

 a very good tax might be imposed, as in France, 

 on the possession of gunpowder. Here let me 

 again impress on my readers that the cartridges 

 for the breech-loaders, when boys or beaters bear 

 the open cartridge-bag in attendance on the gun, 

 should bo under lock and key, like the bag made 

 for me by Stephen Grant, in St. James's Street ; 

 for to my certain knowledge a system of theft on 

 a large scale, by boys and men, has been estab- 

 lished, simply for the powder and shot in tlie 

 cartridges, — the boys stealing the cartridges for 

 the sake of periodical explosions, or to give to the 



