12 Poachers and Poaching. 



since the inclosure of the Commons, numbers of 

 grouse are killed by flying against the wire 

 fences. When the mists cling to the hills for 

 days, or when the weather is " thick," these 

 casualties occur. At such times the birds fly 

 low, and strike before seeing the obstacle. The 

 poacher notes these mist caps hanging to the 

 hill tops, and then, bag in hand, walks parallel 

 to miles and miles of fence. Sometimes a dozen 

 brace of birds are picked up in a morning. 

 Not only grouse, but on the lowlands pheasants 

 and partridges are killed in this way, as are also 

 snipe and woodcock. 



In summer, poachers make and repair their 

 nets for winter use. Large hare nets are made 

 for gates, and smaller ones for rabbit burrows 

 and "smoots." Partridge nets are also neces- 

 sarily large, having sometimes to cover half a 

 field. Although most of the summer the poacher 

 is practically idle, it is at this time that he closely 

 studies the life of the fields, and makes his 

 observations for winter. He gets occasional 

 employment at hay or harvest, and for his darker 

 profession treasures up what he sees. He is not 

 often introduced to the heart of the land, and 

 misses nothing of the opportunity. On in 

 autumn, he is engaged to cut down ash poles or 

 fell young woods, and this brings him to the 

 covert. Nothing escapes his notice, and in the 

 end his employers have to pay dearly for his 



