Practical Game-Preserving. 116 



however, for the remarkable provision Nature makes, such 

 nests would be discovered and destroyed time and again 

 by poaching dogs and cats. For all that, the preserver 

 would do well freely to draw upon them, and as soon as 

 the hen bird broods, the clutches should be removed and 

 hatched out under foster-hens ; for whatever immunity she 

 may enjoy during the earlier period of her nesting 

 operations, the chances are all against a successful 

 incubation or rearing of such broods in their entirety. 

 The reason that small vermin, such as stoats and weasels, 

 and in a measure rats, do not interfere seriously as a rule 

 with nesting pheasants, is due to the fact that these vermin 

 are not much on the move at this season of the year, whilst, 

 in addition, they find an easy and fruitful supply of 

 provender in the numbers of small birds and young 

 rabbits which are at such times obtainable. 



The worst enemies of the pheasant at nesting-time are 

 winged vermin, notably crows and rooks, magpies and 

 jays, and it is against these that the game-preserver 

 must be chiefly on his guard. Where jackdaws abound 

 they prove equally destructive, and once the young birds 

 are hatched out the sparrow-hawk will come upon the 

 scene. Look-out, too, must be kept for the workings of 

 the hedgehog. These complete the list of vermin which 

 will attack and destroy the eggs and chicks of the wild- 

 bred birds, if steps be not taken to protect them. 



In a subsequent portion of this work the means and 

 manner of destroying vermin will be adequately dealt 

 with, as also the steps to be taken to prevent foxes from 

 interfering with the sitting pheasant. At the moment I 

 propose to call attention only to the dangers from which 

 birds may suffer, so that the necessary steps, to be detailed 

 later, may be taken to protect them. Directly a nest is 

 attacked there will be evidence in the shape of egg-shells, 



