CHATS ABOUT PHEASANTS. 387 



he will be sure to shoot your pheasants, and 

 many are lost in this manner. Again, straying 

 pheasants encourage poaching in various forms. 

 Butchers, bakers, or grocers, riding or driving 

 out with their orders, are often tempted to 

 poach stray birds, more especially as it can be 

 done easily, and with scarcely any risk. 



It is very plain, therefore, that, if the keeper 

 used a little common sense, [and took the trouble 

 to keep his birds at home, the farmers and 

 sportsmen on the neighbouring estates would 

 not shoot them ; nor would the tradesmen be 

 tempted to drive through the roads and lanes 

 adjoining his woods, in the hope of doing a 

 sly poach. What can be expected of the 

 latter ? They are continually driving along 

 these roads ; and, time after time, they observe 

 the stray pheasants, and notice how easy it 

 would be to get them, so they borrow an old 

 gun and take it in their carts. They let fly at 

 a bird, and nobble it all right, and away they 

 drive on their rounds; unless you catch them in 

 the very act you dare not search them or their 

 carts. This first success gives them a taste 



