PARTRIDGES AND PHEASANTS. 149 



Without following these proposed measures further into 

 detail, and pointing out that their inevitable effect will be 

 to clog game preservation in England and Scotland with 

 such restrictions as ultimately to lead to its total abolition, 

 we would fain address one question to these, doubtless, well- 

 meaning Don Quixotes. Do they suppose that the British 

 isles contain all the ground available for game which exists 

 upon earth ? In the face of such legislation as has lately 

 been passed, and, still more, of that which seems to be in 

 contemplation, what inducement can there be for men of 

 wealth to retain their existing properties, or to acquire new 

 estates in this country ? ' The world is all before them 

 where to choose their place of rest ; ' and either upon the 

 North American or the Australian Continent, or even in 

 many parts of Europe, they can easily pick up vast domains 

 'for a song,' where game of all kinds swarms, where the 

 climate is preferable to our own, where taxes are low, and 

 where Puritan legislation will never disturb them. Eliminate 

 from England and Scotland their resident country gentry, 

 and what will there be left ? " 



But though I feel strongly that game ought no more 

 to be done away with than soles and flat fish round our 

 coasts, or a fancier's rabbits in his back yard, yet no one can 

 recognize more keenly than that if pheasants have a right 

 to live, so have peasants. Because I feel strongly the 

 Charybdis of game destruction, as known in Switzerland, 

 is impolitic and foolish, yet on the other hand, the Scylla of 

 preservation, as illustrated in Persian game laws, is equally 

 unpleasant. The happy mean is what must be aimed at 

 in such matters, and this can only be discovered by reason- 

 able and neighbourly discussion. 



I have felt the strongest indignation at meeting notice- 

 boards round highland glens declaring the free heather the 

 private privilege of an un appreciative landlord, and have 

 sent to perdition more than once the " owners " of delightful 

 trout streams who have pretended bastard rights to close 



