The Poacher snares himself. 151 



extended thumb of the other open hand upon it, 

 stretching it out as in the action of spanning, when 

 the tip of the little finger gives the right height for the 

 lower bend of the loop — that is, as a rule ; but clever 

 poachers vary it slightly to suit the conformation of 

 the ground. A hare carries his head much higher 

 than might be thought ; and he is very strong, so that 

 the plug which holds the wire must be driven in firmly 

 to withstand his first convulsive struggle. The small 

 upright stick whose cleft suspends the wire across the 

 ' run ' must not be put too near the hare's path, or he 

 will see it, and it must be tolerably stiff, or his head 

 will push the wire aside. Just behind a ' tussocky ' 

 bunch of grass is a favourite spot to set a noose ; the 

 grass partially conceals it. 



The poacher revisits his snares very early in the 

 morning, and if he is judicious invariably pulls them 

 up, whether successful or not, because they may be 

 seen in the day. Half the men who are fined by the 

 magistrates have been caught by keepers who, having 

 observed wires, let them remain ; but keep a watch 

 and take the offenders red-handed. The professional 

 poacher never leaves his wires set up all day, unless 

 a sudden change of weather and the duck's frost 

 previously mentioned prevent him from approaching 

 them, and then he abandons those particular snares 



