TRAINING RABBITS 219 



or windy, yet windy and dark enough, the long- 



netters find all omens propitious. To begin with, the 



rabbits are now in prime condition. Then 



nettf PS t ^ iere * s no ^ ear f a hard fr st to ma ^ e *h e 

 fixing of net-pegs a difficulty, or to allow 

 the sound of footfalls to be carried far through the 

 silence of night. And rabbits are plentiful ; as yet 

 their ranks have been thinned by no serious covert 

 shooting. To crown all, the market is ready and ex- 

 pectant, for the chance of a sale of stolen rabbits has 

 not been spoilt by the large surplus bags of genuine 

 sportsmen. A warm night best suits the poachers' 

 object, with the wind blowing towards the side of 

 the selected wood enough wind to prevent a panic 

 among the rabbits through sound or scent of danger 

 while the gear is fixed, yet not enough to deter them 

 from turning out in goodly numbers, and journeying 

 some distance from the wood to feed. The nets are 

 set up all along the side of the wood, then poachers 

 with dogs or drag-lines make a circuit and drive 

 the feeding rabbits home, and to their doom. 



Keepers have found it more or less possible to train 



rabbits to a mode of life which shall baffle the long- 

 net poachers. By giving them regular 



Rabbits^ courses * driving-in at night they will take 

 to feeding chiefly by day, and will grow 



very suspicious of the sound of a footfall after dark. 



Where there are not enough rabbits to justify special 



