214 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 
is every reason why you should shift the eggs from 
such nests as are in a dangerous position, and either 
add them in detail to those in your centre ground or 
set them under hens. 
If your neighbours are friendly game preservers, 
and will act upon the same plan, so much the better ; 
if not, you will always be the gainer by leaving your 
ground very quiet, and will, to a certain extent, 
attract their birds) When they show jealousy or 
greediness by continuing to kill close, this will only 
serve them right. 
In conclusion of this branch of the subject, I 
should like to make what I believe to be a novel 
suggestion. This is the construction, alongside of 
artificial belts or cover, or even of your best natural 
breeding fences, of long, low penthouses, formed of 
rough 11-inch boarding, say three or four boards 
wide, supported on stout rough posts, and about two 
feet high in front and three at the back. On heavy 
soil, where the birds suffer much in a wet season, 
these would, I imagine, be a great protection for the 
young birds to run under during continued heavy 
rain, and if set on a slight slope, and the means are 
at hand, the ground under them could be covered 
with a slight coating of gravel. All the gallinaceous 
birds suffer greatly from wet feet, and I believe they 
