HOW TO KEEP HARES AT HOME 207 



except when driven to the coverts for protection. The 

 hare, being of a very timid nature, loves quietude, and 

 they should always have certain fields to themselves, 

 where they should not be disturbed, and in this manner 

 large numbers may be kept together. They may easily 

 be prevented breaking bounds, by the keeper going round 

 the outside fences every other day, and stopping the runs 

 or menses with blackthorn or gorse. In this manner I 

 preserved a great number of hares within a certain limit ; 

 and although there was a large covert belonging to a 

 neighbour, only one field from my head preserve, I do 

 not think he could boast of killing more than a dozen of 

 my hares during the season. I had only a small gorse 

 covert of two acres, bordering on four fields, for their 

 protection, into which no dog was allowed to enter, and 

 from this small place the whole manor was well stocked 

 with hares. 



As another instance of the sagacity of the canine race, 

 I may mention that my greyhounds would never pursue 

 a hare when she came in sight of the plantation ; having 

 been always called back, they knew that this to them was 

 forbidden ground, and the hares appeared equally aware 

 of the fact, straining every nerve to reach their place of 

 protection. 



The preservation of game, to a certain extent, is not 

 only reasonable, but almost indispensable to a country 

 gentleman to distribute amongst his friends, acquaint- 

 ances, and neighbours ; but the regular battue system, 

 and the consequent cruelties attached to it, such as 

 gin-setting, shooting or poisoning all your neighbours' 

 dogs and cats, pit-falls, in which any poor stray animal 

 may be starved to death before found by the keeper, 

 fox-killing, &c., &c., I have always held in the greatest 



