70 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



slii.irt biirrel (lowiiwii.i-ds. Unscrew tlie hitter and loail it with 

 a ciiu];)le (if cliaro'es (if piiwder, auJ put (jii tlie cap, wliicli yuLi 

 sliiHild ci.ivcr witli S(.)iiie lieeswax; arid suet mixed. 'I'lien s(ax'W 

 tlie short Ijarrel lutn the Imig one. .Drill a small hole tlirouii'li 

 tlie loose ]iiec(_' of iron about four inches from one tmd, and 

 put it in the barrel with a nail or yvg in the small liole^ and 

 a strini;' Irom the Jiiiil goiuo' down tlie sidc^ of the ti'oe in tlie 

 du'ection you may choose. .Mind a,nd not lia\'e the wire so 

 lo\\- tha- a. do^' can let it off. Wliini the wire is tijiiclied it 

 draws the nail, ami the hanmier, falliuL;; down on the barrel, 

 lets the cap off. Beioa' fastened up in a tree, and close to the 

 stem, it can catch the eye; <.if no one, and merely lias to be 

 sliiltcd occasionally, thoiiL;;h of course there is no need to do 

 this until aftei- it has been lired. After all, nothini:; daunts 

 poachers so much as ]iitfalls made in the woods. They 

 slioidd be about seven feet deej), a.iid made witli the sides 

 slanting, so that the chamber is larger at the bottom than at 

 the top. Unless boanhjd all round, tlie soil \\\]\ fall in. The 

 ojiening- should be four feet sipiare, and lie (.'OTered with 

 sticks and sods, (jr anything resembling the summndiiig 

 ground. Poachers are very shy of Yenturing into woods 

 where yoii have tliese pit-falls." 



Alai-m gnus discharging waMideii or other ]ilugs upwards 

 or horizontally should never be used, as danger to human 

 lile always accomiianies their employment. It is almost 

 unnecessary to remark tha.t alaaan guns oi' va,rious forms can 

 Ije purchased at any u'nnmaker's. 



The destruction eifi.'ct.ed in jireserves during the nesting 

 season by crows, jackdaws, magpies, jass, and other ee-g- 

 eating bir<ls is well known, and can only be remedied by the 

 tra]ipine- or slmotine- of the lailprits. d'lie fjuestion as to the 

 intliieiice of tint rook in pheasant coverts is one of those 

 res|)ectiiig which there is much to be said mi lieih siih'-. The 

 rook is so often regarded as a valuable ally to the au'ncail- 

 turist, by destroying an enormous iiumlii-r of ornbs, wire 

 woirns, &c., that its case claims attentive consideration. 



