Pheasants Protection. 61 



they traverse at certain intervals, with the result that it 

 is extremely easy for poachers to avoid observation, and 

 to shape their courses according to where they know the 

 keepers to be. Regular night-watching is, of course, the only 

 preventive of night poaching of the more extensive and 

 dangerous kind ; but for the prevention of it in its simpler 

 forms, when practised by one or two men, who would sooner 

 trust to flight than make an attack upon the keepers, who 

 are off as fast as their heels can carry them at the slightest 

 cause for alarm, there is no better means than the employ- 

 ment of alarm guns of some form or other, fixed in the 

 coverts, while the construction of one man-trap and the 

 reported making of a dozen, will excite a very lively aver- 

 sion in the minds of many would-be marauders to the entry 

 of the coverts in which they are placed. For further infor- 

 mation relative to poaching we must refer our readers to the 

 special chapter on the subject. 



The other large destroyers of pheasants are vermin, 

 nearly every kind of which is capable of exerting its evil 

 habits in the preserves. The weasel tribe, in particular, 

 cause a deal of damage, polecats, and stoats, killing young 

 birds, and weasels being particularly destructive amongst 

 the eggs. Rats combine the propensities of all, with greater 

 daring and warinesss. 



The " common," or " garden " -cat is an extremely active 

 depredator, and carries on its nefarious practices mostly 

 amongst the coops, where it is sought to hand-rear the birds. 

 The domestic cat generally works at night and often very 

 successfully, while the farmer's dog, and the dogs of all the 

 idle louts in the village, are equally alert at rearing time, and 



