146 THE GAMEKEEPER AT HOME. 



makes a science of it is a village at the edge of a range of 

 downs, generally fringed with large woods on the lower 

 slopes. He has then ground to work alternately, accord- 

 ing to the character of the weather and the changes of the 

 moon. If the weather be wet, windy, or dark from the 

 absence of the moon, then the wide open hills are safe ; 

 while, on the other hand, the woods are practically in- 

 accessible, for a man must have the eyes of a cat to see to 

 do his work in the impenetrable blackness of the planta- 

 tions. So that upon a bright night the judicious poacher 

 prefers the woods, because he can see his way, and avoids 

 the hills, because, having no fences to speak of, a watcher 

 may detect him a mile off 



Meadows with double mounds and thick hedges may 

 be worked almost at any time, as one side of the hedge is 

 sure to cast a shadow, and instant cover is afforded by the 

 bushes and ditches. Such meadows are the happy hunting- 

 grounds of the poacher for that reason, especially if not 

 far distant from woods, and consequently overrun with 

 rabbits. For, since the price of rabbits has risen so high, 

 they are very profitable as game, considering that a dozen 

 or two may be captured without noise and without having 

 to traverse much space — perhaps in a single hedge. 



The weather most unsuitable is that kind of frost which 

 comes on in the early morning, and is accompanied with 

 some rime on the grass — a duck's frost, just sufficient to 

 check fox-hunting. Every footstep on grass in this con- 



