THE REARING FIELD, 53 



unprofitably during the dreary hours that must be 

 spent in watching the youngsters, who have well 

 eaten and drunken, and to whom, thanks to your 

 presence, no visible enemy appeareth, than by manu- 

 facturing and locating in the said trees some sham 

 nests, duly fitted with the iron jaw. 



If the grass should get too long, you must follow 

 the usual method, and cut it into lanes and squares, 

 keeping the coops in the lanes ; but, as I never yet 

 saw a lot of birds started well in long grass, I trust to 

 my readers' ingenuity to avoid any rank herbage at 

 all events, at the commencement of the campaign. 

 The difference to the poor little tender chicks 

 between having to take their exercise in long 

 rank rye grass or thick clover, or a nice well- 

 eaten-down, gently growing, sweet, luscious meadow, 

 is as if you were set to run a hundred yards through 

 tall wheat against another man on a turnpike road. 

 Verb. sap. 



Also avoid a field on which there is any appearance 

 of white stone, quartz, or lead refuse. In this country 

 we have to be most particular in avoiding such ; but 

 probably the danger is not so great elsewhere. Snails, 

 too, are very deceptive ; there are two sorts exactly 

 alike, and the one may be found on one side of a 

 hedge and the other on the reverse, and yet one sort 

 is beneficial to the birds and the other fatal. Previous 

 experience can alone assist you here, and if it is a 

 " new " keeper who peruses these lines let me give 



