THE HARE AND HER TROD 69 



constantly been employed for the capture of the brown 

 hare, nor can I see, as yet, any signs of their falling 

 into disuse. An old poacher laughed merrily when I 

 told him that Mr. L'Aigle Cole says that a partridge 

 net is now difficult to procure. ' He would have 

 been glad to send his own to the gentleman, only he 

 happened to have lent it to another party.' The 

 police, it is true, destroy all the nets they seize ; but 

 the gangs of poachers that infest our larger towns are 

 never at a loss to find illegal engines. The nets used 

 by poachers are generally made of fine strong hempen 

 thread. The favourite mesh measures about two inches 

 and a half. The net is made about four feet deep, so 

 as to allow plenty of ' sheeting ' at the bottom. There 

 is no fixed rule as to the length of the long nets. 

 Most of our North-country poachers prefer to have 

 120 yards of netting to manipulate. Their business, 

 of course, is to drive as many hares or rabbits as 

 possible into the nets. They choose large fields, if 

 possible, as the scenes of their depredations. The 

 members of the gang sally forth after dark, carrying 

 their nets wrapped around their bodies or concealed 

 in some other way. When all appears to be quiet, 

 when the scout of the party reports that there are no 

 keepers about, and that the coast is clear, the poachers 

 hasten to the edge of a wood or some other suitable 



