SOME POINTS IN LA W 47 



the only persons who may use firearms. No person 

 shall be authorised by the occupier to kill ground game 

 except (i) Members of his household resident on the 

 land; (2) Persons in his ordinary employment on the 

 land ; and (3) One other person bond fide employed by 

 him for reward to kill ground game. The keeper, if 

 authorised in writing by the landlord or game tenant 

 (who has a concurrent right to kill ground game), may 

 demand any person killing game for the occupier to pro- 

 duce his written authority. If he has none he may be 

 prosecuted as a poacher. This Act also forbids the use 

 of firearms at night (i.e. from end of first hour after sun- 

 set to beginning of last hour before sunrise), and the 

 use of spring traps except inside rabbit holes. The 

 right of killing ground game under this Act must not 

 be exercised on moors or unenclosed lands which are 

 not arable, except from the ist day of September in any 

 year till the 3ist day of March in the following year, 

 both dates inclusive, and no shooting is permissible 

 until nth December a provision probably designed 

 to favour the grouse. 



Heather burning. In Scotland and Ireland, but not 

 in England, farmers are accustomed to burn the heather 

 and old grass or bent on the moorland pastures periodi- 

 cally. This operation, known as "muirburn," is also 

 beneficial to the grouse, as they feed on the young shoots 

 of the heather or ling which come up afterwards. Ob- 

 viously a moor cannot be burned without risk of damage 

 to growing woods, etc., by the fire spreading, and the 



