The Confessions of a Poacher. 71 



gun and this at a time when they are quite unfit 

 for food. In addition to these causes of scarcity 

 there are others well known to sportsmen. 

 When harriers hunt late in the season as they 

 invariably do now-a-days many leverets are 

 " chopped," and for every hare that goes 

 away three are killed in the manner in- 

 dicated. At least, that is my experience 

 while mouching in the wake of the hounds. 

 When hunting continues through March, 

 master and huntsman assert that this havoc is 

 necessary in order to kill off superabundant 

 jack-hares, and so preserve the balance of 

 stock. Doubtless there was reason in this 

 argument before the present scarcity, but now 

 there is none. March, too, is a general 

 breeding month, and the hunting of doe-hares 

 entails the grossest cruelty. Coursing is 

 confined within no fixed limits, and is pro- 

 longed far too late in the season. What has 

 been said of hunting applies to coursing, and 

 these things sportsmen can remedy if they 

 wish. There is more unwritten law in con- 

 nection with British field-sports than any other 



