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BOOK NOTICE. 



contain every information from the choice of a gun to the best 

 dressing for shooting-boots. We shall, therefore, rather draw the 

 reader's attention to those chapters which refer more especially to 

 the Natural History of the various ' beasts and fowl of warren,' and 

 their numerous enemies. 



Chapter xii. in Vol. I deals with 'vermin' which are known to be 

 more or less inimical to the game preserver. We fear in a large 

 majority of cases the lack of knowledge amongst gamekeepers, who, 

 as a rule, are deeply ignorant of Natural History, has led to a far 

 larger extension of the ' black list ' than is warranted by fact. 

 To the ordinary keeper every living thing which can by any stretch 

 of imagination be considered to interfere with the rearing of game, 

 or is unfortunate in bearing a general resemblance to an evil-doer, is 

 ruthlessly persecuted to death, and even such harmless creatures as the 

 Water-vole, Fern Owl, and Cuckoo are not excepted from the 

 sweeping ban. 



Mr. Lascelles divides vermin into three classes. First, such as 

 do nothing else but harm, in which are included Crows, Magpies, 

 Sparrow-hawks, Stoats, Weasels, Cats, Pole-cats, and Rats. Secondly, 

 those which do some little harm, yet are credited with some good — 

 as Jays, Jackdaws, Kestrels, and Hedgehogs. Thirdly, those which, 

 although they destroy a certain number of game, afford sport in 

 themselves, or are creatures of such rarity or beauty, that they ought 

 not to be indiscriminately destroyed, such as Foxes, Badgers, 

 Peregrine Falcons, Buzzards, Harriers, Ravens, and Owls. 



We can scarcely agree altogether with this classification, for even 

 in the first and blackest list Stoats and Weasels confer great services 

 on the game preserver in keeping down rats, and there are few 

 animals which possess a greater aptitude for the destruction of young 

 game and eggs than an old rat with a litter of young to support. 

 The domestic Cat when it takes to poaching is a terrible enemy to 

 game, both flying and running, and should be destroyed without 

 mercy. Polecats and the larger raptorial birds are now practically 

 extinct, and can scarcely be considered factors in the case. Much 

 can be urged in favour of the Peregrine, which we have generally 

 found preys in England during the winter on Plover, the Wild 

 Pigeons, and domestic Pigeons, and on the coast on wild fowl 

 generally and seabirds. It cannot, however, be denied that the 

 Peregrine will take Black-game, Grouse and Ptarmigan, whenever 

 opportunity offers j not unfrequently, too, striking birds down 

 apparently out of wantonness and for the mere love of the thing, 

 without descending to prey on his victims. For all this the Pere- 

 grine is worthy of preservation ; to the true sportsman the flight and 



Naturalist, 



