460 Practical Game Preserving. 



which may perceive the eggs, and accordingly comes to 

 investigate their qualities. Small pieces of white paper 

 fastened down are sometimes just as efficacious as the 

 actual thing. 



There is also a good deal to be effected by shooting 

 crows ; in fact, sometimes, if one have opportunity and take 

 trouble, the same time devoted to following up the winged 

 marauders as to setting traps will bring better results, more 

 especially in the breeding season, when the young get out 

 upon the branches round their nests before being able to 

 take actual flight. " High Elms," the great authority on 

 matters of the kind, gave, in a letter to the Field, the 

 following instructions, which, when observed, give one as 

 good a chance as possible to kill, and require no addition, 

 although written a good many years ago : " If in the 

 breeding season you find a crow's nest (most frequently in 

 a large Scotch fir), wait till she sits deep, and then put 

 her off by accident. If, however, you are a good shot, 

 knock her over at once, but don't fire if you cannot trust 

 yourself, as, if missed, she will forsake. Assuming you 

 have not shot at her, you must get up to the nest and 

 pull out the undermost sticks, all but one or two, but being 

 careful not to disturb the lining. Then stick a bit of white 

 paper, the size of half-a-crown, in the middle of the space 

 pulled away. Watch her on to the nest again (if it rain, 

 all the better, as she will not be so f tickle'), and send 

 a charge of good strong shot at the paper, and you are 

 sure to kill the carrion crow dead." More practical advice 

 than this as to how to shoot a crow at nesting we cannot 

 point out ; and, although not everyone will care or is able 



