ROUGH SHOOTING 289 



birds wholesale ; but there is a very easy way of 

 baffling them. Put sticks, about eighteen inches 

 high, fifteen, twenty, or thirty yards apart, over the 

 ground the partridges generally roost on ; these, as 

 the net is drawn along, lift it up, and the birds 

 easily escape. 



It is a good plan to walk the fields of an even- 

 ing with a brace of dogs, where you know they 

 roost, and disturb them ; they may probably then 

 take to the gorse, if any, potatoes, seed clover, and 

 other safe ground. 



In May and June I wage war with the crows, 

 magpies, jays and hawks, shooting or trapping the 

 old hen birds. Always kill the male bird first ; 

 this is easily done by waiting patiently within shot, 

 under cover of some tree or hedge where the nest 

 is, which is generally built in some pretty high tree ; 

 the hen will not desert if sitting hard, which you 

 should allow her to do ; her death is then easily 

 accomplished. 



I never allow poison to be used, for I hold that 

 a keeper who cannot destroy all vermin by means 

 of his gun and traps is not worth his wages. 



To have any quantity of game, it is better that 

 you and your keepers should be on good terms with 

 your neighbours ; they will do as much good as half 

 a dozen watchers. 



II T 



