PHEASANT. 7 



to the larch, this species of tree is generally preferred by the Pheasants for their roosting- 

 place; and it is quite impossible that the poachers can shoot them in these trees. 

 Moreover, Magpies and Jays -will always resort to them at night-fall; and they never 

 fail to give the alarm, on the first appearance of an enemy. Many a time has the Magpie 

 been of essential service to me, in a night excursion after poachers. If there be no 

 park wall, an eye ought to be kept, from time to time, on the neighbouring hedges. 

 Poachers are apt to set horse-hair snares in them; and these villanous nooses give the 

 Pheasants apoplexy. Six or seven dozen of wooden Pheasants, nailed on the branches 

 of trees in the surrounding woods, cause unutterable vexation and loss of ammunition to 

 these amateurs of nocturnal plunder. Small clumps of hollies, and yew trees with hollv 

 hedges round them, are of infinite service, when planted at intervals of one hundred and fifty 

 yards. To these the Pheasants fly on the sudden approach of danger, during the dav, and 

 skulk there till the alarm is over." "If to these arrangements for protecting Pheasants, 

 there could be added a park wall, from nine to ten feet high, and inclosing about two 

 hundred and fifty acres, consisting of wood, meadow, pasture, and arable land, the naturalist 

 might put all enemies at defiance, and revel in the enchanting scene afforded by the 

 different evolutions of single pairs, and congregated groups of animated nature." 



TTe are convinced that if the principles laid down in these remarks were generally 

 considered and acted upon by our large landed proprietors, the poacher would have but 

 a sorry chance of ever securing more than a stray bird, which would never be missed; 

 and we cannot but think also that by thus calling in the aid of Nature, we should very 

 materially diminish the present enormous expense which attends the preservation of the 

 Pheasant; for it is quite certain that were the birds afforded such well-devised shelter 

 as is above recommended, half the present number of keepers would suffice. The expense 

 of preserving srame must necessarily vary considerably from a variety of local causes, and 

 it would be difficult, probably, to average it; but we have heard a large landed proprietor 

 assert that every head of game, including in the list Pheasants, Partridges, and Hares, 

 cost him at least ten shillings. This probably was rather an extreme, but certainly 

 not an exceptional case; for Ave have heard the same amount estimated in other widely 

 distant localities. If, in addition to well-fortified preserves, the owners were to add the 

 snpplying dealers in game with Pheasants at a much less price than is at present paid 

 for them, it can hardly be doubted that they would entirely exclude the poachers from 

 the market, and few would be found to run the risk of poaching Pheasants for their 

 own eating. Against this it may be argued that it is hardly to be expected that thev 

 should sell Pheasants at a greater loss than they do at present. We do not believe the 

 loss would be greater, if so great; for, if our premises are correct, the expenses of 

 preserving would be so greatly diminished, and the quantity of game so much larger, 

 that it is not impossible what is now a dead loss might become a positive gain. 



