Partrides Protection. 





during the nest season of partridges, and summon some 

 one who is trespassing if you can get the chance. Taking 

 it for granted that the keeper knows all the nests, if one 

 goes put on a watch to catch the thief of any others. Vermin 

 leave the shells. 



Egg destroying is also prevalent, and to our thinking is 

 the meanest trick one man can play on another. Labourers 

 who ask for a rise of wages and do not obtain it, or those who 

 have been discharged for idleness, or bad behaviour ; people 

 who have been warned about trespassing ; farmers who 

 consider bad seasons and low prices are caused by their 

 landlords or due to game preserving ; these are the sort of 

 poachers who step on a partridge's nest or kick a brood of 

 young ones to death. They are poachers and of the most 

 despicable sort. We would sooner have our pheasants 

 decimated by a barefaced gang than suffer a man to delibe- 

 rately tread out a nest of eggs. 



The necessary protection of partridges from the various 

 modes of destruction so far detailed is obvious enough. 

 The gamekeeper's duty, pure and simple, must be the pre- 

 ventive, and the remedy more certain vigilance for the 

 future. Partridges must in addition, however, be saved from 

 themselves, as we have already stated. The majority of 

 male birds must be done away with if we wish our stock to 

 increase, and not remain at a certain quantity year after 

 year. To kill the cocks down the most satisfactory way is to 

 shoot them in the pairing season, but this is against the law. 

 It is, however, a case of " make money honestly if you can, 

 but make money." 



There are amongst partridges what are termed "bachelors" 



H 2 



