44 A GAMEKEEPER'S NOTE-BOOK 



From the young days of the year, when his hens began 

 to lay once more, the keeper adds eggs to his store for 

 the sake of the birds of May. His cares 



an( * worr ^ es hi s l n g hours and weary 

 trudgings, and the chances and changes of 

 the weather make the keeper grumble more and 

 more with the years ; but he is always a devoted slave 

 to sport, and takes pleasure in each act of preparation 

 for a new season. Every time he adds to the store of 

 feeding eggs he is thinking of the prospects of his 

 pheasants. He sees chicks turning to awkward 

 poults, and poults turning to full-feathered birds, 

 topping the lofty trees or sailing high over the valley, 

 while the guns are coughing below. Over his store of 

 eggs for feeding he gloats like a miser over gold. 

 Stowed away in a cool place these eggs after each 

 one has been dipped for about thirty seconds in boil- 

 ing water will keep their good feeding qualities for 

 months. 



From the New Year until well on in March rabbits 

 are hard pressed to find food not necessarily be- 

 cause the weather may be bad, but because 

 RblTtf so manv ne lds present a surface of bare 

 earth, where hitherto rabbits have been 

 able to find ungrudged pickings. When barred 

 from other food, they will be driven to bark under- 

 wood, and so cause a price to be set on their heads ; 



