THE CARRION CROW. 



95 



reckon up how many times the keeper has disturbed 

 the game by going in search of this bird, and thus 

 exposed the nests of partridges and pheasants to 

 certain destruction by vermin of all kinds ; and then, 

 if we take into the account the many heads of game 

 which the keeper had killed in his steel traps and 

 rabbit-snares, we should conclude, I think, that, in 

 the long run, the game actually suffers more from 

 the keeper, in his attempts to destroy the crow, than 

 it really does from the crow itself, while catering 

 for its young. Indeed, I have made out the account 

 myself ; and, finding the balance to be against the 

 keeper, I have renewed the order which I gave to his 

 predecessor, never, upon any score, to persecute 

 what is commonly called flying vermin. Thus the 

 partridges and pheasants here, during the time of 

 incubation, are abandoned to their own discretion : 

 and I judge, from what I have seen, that old Dame 

 Nature, without any interference on my part, will 

 kindly continue to point out to these birds proper 

 places where to lay their eggs and rear their young ; 

 and, moreover, I am confident she will teach them, 

 by her own admirable and secret process, how to 

 elude the prying scrutiny of the carrion crow. 

 Should, however, the country squire, whose eye is 

 seldom quite closed to the advantages derived from 

 a well-stored autumnal larder ; should he, I say, not 

 have sufficient faith in the dame's protecting care, 

 it will be some consolation to him to be informed 

 that, when birds of the game species lose their first 

 eggs, they seldom fail to have a second hatch, which 

 will be sure to find ample security from its enemies, 



