52 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



and duties in regard to persons who come on the ground 

 with no legitimate title to be there (whom we may call 

 generally ''poachers") cannot be stated intelligibly 

 without first giving a short outline of the legislation for 

 the protection of game against such persons. For all 

 practical purposes the law is contained in a very few 

 Acts of Parliament, the first of which was passed in 

 1828 and the last in 1862. The subject is divided into 

 three parts ( i ) Trespassing in pursuit of game in the 

 night time : (2) trespassing in pursuit of game in the 

 day time ; and (3) the prevention of poaching. 



Night poaching is forbidden by two Acts, which 

 both apply to the whole United Kingdom, viz. the 

 Night Poaching Acts, 1828 and 1844. 



For the purpose of both Acts night is defined as the 

 period between the expiration of the first hour after 

 sunset and the commencement of the last hour before 

 sunrise, and "game" is defined as including hares, 

 pheasants, partridges, grouse, heath or moor game, 

 black game, and bustards. 



An offence under these Acts is committed by any 

 person who, during the night, ( i ) unlawfully takes or 

 kills any game or rabbits on any land, or on any public 

 road or path or the sides thereof, or at the openings or 

 gates from any such land into such road or path ; or 

 (2) unlawfully enters, or is on such land (no mention of 

 roads, etc.), with any instruments for the purpose of 

 taking or destroying game. Entering land for the 

 purpose of taking rabbits is only punishable under these 



