Protecting: Nests and Sittino- Birds. 



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foxes during the few hours she has to remain and 

 complete the hatching process. On the face of it, 

 and without seeking farther, this looks a step 

 decidedly in the right direction, but the practical 

 reader possessing knowledge of the ways of foxes 

 will at once see that little is gained at the expense 

 of much labour. For instance, on the Euston 

 estate the average bag of partridges is about 5000, 

 and the eggs necessary to produce this number of 

 birds may safely be placed at from 6000 to 7000 

 on the lowest computation. Now, try to imagine 

 the labour involved in collecting all these aslayed, 

 bringing them to hatching point, and returning 

 them to the nests ! And this was reported to be 

 done upon an estate where a fox is never allowed to 

 roam at large during the breeding season of the 

 game ! Had those w^ho ventured to name the 

 system after this estate given the latter fact the 

 least consideration, they would have sought further 

 afield for a more suitable title. 



Every keeper Avho reads this book knows full 

 well that in nearly every instance a sitting 

 partridge or pheasant is perfectly safe till the eggs 

 commence to hatch, and then, if special pre- 

 cautions are not taken, she is likely to be 

 sacrificed. To some readers it may be a puzzle 

 why and how a fox detects the presence of a nest 



