50 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



value of the crops damaged by game, including 

 rabbits and hares, exceed a sovereign. No doubt 

 and no wonder, in consideration of existing circum- 

 stances, the farmer did not take full advantage of 

 the Ground Game Act ! Now all this is changed, 

 and the crops themselves must be relied upon 

 directly to provide the amount required against the 

 day of audit. 



Though I have heard enough complaints con- 

 cerning rabbits to make me for ever sick of the 

 very mention of their name, none of the petitioners 

 has ever launched the most speculative accusation 

 against partridges. In view of the evidence upon 

 which many other complaints have been founded, 

 I must confess that I am somewhat surprised. With 

 some of the farmers with whom I have had to deal 

 the excuse must be that damage by partridges never 

 entered their heads. I have made it my business 

 specially to inquire of good farmers, who were also 

 good sportsmen, and shot as often as they got the 

 chance, whether they thought that partridges were 

 in any way capable of doing a farmer, or anyone 

 else, damage ; and if so, how, when, and where. 

 The reply from one and all may best be given in 

 its raw state : ' Well, I dunno as they do.' One 

 whom I questioned told me, as, of course, I knew 

 quite well already, that there was only one com- 

 bination of circumstances in which partridges might 

 justly be considered to do ' no good ' that is, when 



