422 THE GAME PRESERVER'S GUIDE. 



ground at about twenty yards distance from each other, but 

 as irregularly as possible. Wheat stubbles and upland grass 

 are the most probable roosting places of these birds, but 

 barley stubbles without seeds are nearly as likely, and even 

 the seeds themselves are sometimes chosen. Few labourers 

 sleep through the night without being aware of the use of 

 the net, which cannot be drawn without some noise, and if 

 they like they can always give the keeper warning and stop 

 the netting at once. 



Hares are taken by gate nets, after stopping all the meuses 

 in the field, when a mute dog soon drives all within it into 

 the net. Or they are snared in the fatal wire, or caught in 

 small bag nets placed over some of the meuses, the others 

 being stopped. The nets are the most fatal methods because 

 they are soon put down and soon taken up again, whereas the 

 wires require some little time to set. Long nets are some- 

 times set in the open, and the hares driven into them, and 

 wires are also set on their runs, where they are caught even 

 more easily than in the meuse. Hares and rabbits always 

 stop and examine the meuse unless closely pressed, but they 

 run carelessly along in the open, and put their necks within 

 the snare without the slightest hesitation. An artist in his 

 line will scarcely miss a hare if he is left undisturbed, and 

 allowed to inspect the ground freely beforehand. So also in 

 coverts, they are completely cleared by the clever poacher in 

 a very short time, if he is permitted to get into them and 

 set his wires. Long netting both for hares and partridges 

 is the most difficult to circumvent, excepting by watching 

 the poachers themselves and so taking care that they cannot 

 meet together in any number without its being known. 

 Scarcely any known method will stop it, for the nets may be 

 fixed anywhere, and as the game is driven into them no 

 bushing or similar set of obstacles is of any use. 



The Scotch poachers in the Highland districts are very 

 difficult to counteract, because they have such a wide scope, 

 and can seldombe caught unawares. Even in the daytime they 

 manage to get to leeward of the keepers and watchers, and 

 thus are able to proceed in their task, shooting away till they 

 have killed as much as they can carry. Grouse are netted 

 in large numbers before the season and kept till they can be 



