THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
day’s shooting, even if he receive a nominal sum for his services, or a 
present of rabbits, although the fact of the shooter being a friend of the 
occupier would not necessarily invalidate the authority. 
The form of authority to be given in writing not being provided by 
the Act, the following may be suggested as sufficient for the purpose: 
In pursuance of the provisions of the Ground Game Act 1880 I A.B. of 
(give address) hereby authorize G.D. (a member of my household, in my 
service, or resident on the land in my occupation as the case may be) to kill 
or take ground game for me on any part of the land in my occupation in any 
lawful manner* except by shooting. 
Dated this day of 1913. 
(Signed) A. B. 
If the occupier intends to authorize shooting, the form may be varied 
thus: “ to kill or take ground game by shooting, in the daytime only.” 
This authority, when given, must be produced by the holder at any time 
when demanded by any person authorized to require its production. 
Sub-section 3 relates to moorlands as follows: In the case of moor- 
lands, and uninclosed lands (not being arable lands), the occupier and the 
persons authorized by him shall exercise the rights conferred by this 
section only from the 11th day of December in one year until the 31st day 
of March in the next year, both inclusive — that is, from the end of grouse 
shooting until the beginning of the nesting season — but this provision 
shall not apply to detached portions of moorlands or uninclosed lands 
adjoining arable lands, where such detached portions are less than 
twenty-five acres in extent. In other words, on small outlying patches 
of moorland holding rabbits which might do damage on adjoining arable 
land, the “ occupier ” is empowered to kill ground game all the year 
round. This right of occupiers of moorlands has since been extended 
by the Ground Game Amendment Act, 1906, to which allusion will be 
made a little later (p. 337). 
Section 2 of this Act provides that an occupier who is entitled to kill 
ground game on land in his occupation cannot divest himself wholly 
of such right. If he holds under a lease dated prior to September, 1880, and 
the game has not been reserved to the owner, he has an exclusive right to 
game both furred and feathered, and can let that exclusive right to anyone 
he pleases. But if his tenancy has been created since that date, without 
any reservation of the game, he cannot let such right in its entirety, but 
* Poison is declared to be unlawful by section 6. 
332 
