230 BIRDS' NESTS. 



not thought it necessary to go into this, it 

 being clear to us that we can satisfy the ends 

 of justice without inquiring whether you took 

 them or not. In the first place, then, you 

 violated the law of the land by entering on 

 Mr. Long's land, in search of pheasants' eggs, 

 if you took them, or at all events, in search of 

 game ; secondly, you committed an illegal act 

 by killing a pheasant, not having a game cer- 

 tificate, though I may add, it is unlawful for 

 any one to kill game at this season ; and, 

 thirdly, you violated the law by offering the 

 pheasant for sale. Now, as you are a mere 

 boy, it might be urged on your behalf that 

 you did not know there was any harm in going 

 into Mr. Long's wood that you killed the 

 bird merely out of reckless cruelty and having 

 killed it, you thought you might as well make 

 a little money by selling it, being all the while 

 in ignorance that you were doing anything 

 wrong. That excuse cannot be made for you. 

 Had you committed the offence in ignorance, 



