THE REARING FIELD. 59 



them asleep, but I can point out the likeliest place in 

 the field to discover them in, and that where they are 

 most generally overlooked ; this being in an old mole 

 run made in the long grass, more especially where 

 your field has been laid out, as it is commonly in the 

 south, in ridge and furrow. A mole makes a comfor- 

 table sort of pipe in the grass ; the weazel takes 

 possession of it, running up and down, and just poking 

 out his head to seize any unwary chick that unwittingly 

 comes close to his haunt, dragging the body imme- 

 diately into concealment. He may exist in this way 

 for days before the unsuspecting keepers can track 

 him to his lair. 



That my keeper may, like Hamlet, be able to say, 

 " I know a hawk from a handsaw/' it may be here as 

 well to remark that, if you are losing young birds 

 from vermin, and are not quite sure what sort, ob- 

 serve whether the tendency of the chicks, when at 

 large, is to squat; if they do, the enemy has wings. 

 If, on the contrary, you observe a youngster give a 

 jump in the air, four legs are at the bottom of the 

 mischief. 



Be careful to avoid grass that has been treated 

 with guano, or the chicks will be covered with vermin. 

 Should such a misfortune become apparent, smear 

 the breast feathers of the mother of the affected brood 

 with some mercurial ointment, which is familiarly 

 known as "blue butter." This will remove in a very 

 short time any cause of complaint upon this score. 



