60 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



by the owner to recover the value of the dog or cat. 

 If the dog or the cat is in the act of killing a valuable 

 bird or animal, the keeper might be held entitled to kill 

 such dog or cat, provided this were the only means of 

 saving such valuable animal or bird. The cases in 

 which this defence has been upheld are so rare that it 

 would be safer for the ordinary keeper to refrain from 

 such killing. Special powers, however, are given to 

 the gamekeepers of any lord of the manor, lordship, or 

 royalty, duly appointed under the hand and seal of the 

 lord on a ten-shilling stamp, and registered with the 

 clerk of the peace for the county. A keeper so ap- 

 pointed may seize and take for his master's use any 

 dogs, nets, and other instruments for taking game as 

 shall be used within such manor by any person not 

 authorised to kill game. 



Similarprivilege is conferred upon the gamekeepers 

 duly appointed in the same manner upon any lands in 

 Wales of the clear annual value of ^500. By the Dogs 

 Act 1906, "any person who takes possession of a stray 

 dog " must either return it to its owner, or else send 

 written notice to the chief police officer of the district, 

 stating full particulars, under penalty of forty shillings. 



Spring-guns. A keeper must not set any spring- 

 gun or any trap which might be destructive either to 

 men or dogs, but it is quite lawful to set a spring-gun 

 with a detonating cartridge, which can only act as an 

 alarm signal. 



It is hardly necessary to say that a gamekeeper 



