spring the partridges from their nests, and thereby discover the eggs. This practice has been considerably increased by gentlemen, who were no doubt little aware of the consequence, having had remittances of eggs to stock their preserves. These gentlemen will perhaps be the very first to suffer from, though they should be the last to complain of this wholesale and unreasonable mode of destruction.

The real way to keep up a good stock of game, we may rest assured is, first, to be well guarded against all such incursions as those previously alluded to. Secondly, to get the poachers watched at their own houses, by concealing people during the night, near both their front and back doors; also have an eye on the local carriers, who are often their best customers. Thirdly, to keep on good terms with the farmers, who, it should be remembered, have a right to tread on their own ground, though the nest of a partridge or pheasant be under their feet!

In a few words, a gentleman, who living on his estate, is liberal and popular with his neighbours, his tenants, and the poor, will seldom have much difficulty in preserving his rights of every kind. Few will be disposed to infringe on them, while every one is ready to offer assistance for their protection. But, on the other hand, the tyrant, hated and despised by all, when shot over by day, poached on by night, or even robbed of his property, becomes only the laughing-stock of his villagers, who would perhaps rather succour than inform against his offenders !

Nothing will keep pheasants at home better than buck wheat, oats, white peas, or barley; provided you dispose of them IN coverts, where there is access to water. It is equally as well known, that high turnips will be a shelter

for your partridges, as that swedes will attract hares, and strong furze will be the means of preserving game of every description.

I may add, that woodcocks have been often collected together by decayed apples. This discovery was first made in consequence of their having frequented the orchards in some parts of Dorsetshire, where they have appeared in numbers, and are called "ditch-owls."

HUTCH-TRAP FOR VERMIN.

I here present my reader with a trap that has been used by our old vermin-killer for these forty years, and with which he has caught more weasels, stoats, wild cats, rats and polecats, than any man in the country: and more, he gives me, as a legacy for all his brother sportsmen, what he "counts to be the best thing as is for tackling all them there plaguy warmunts." This trap, I am aware, is nothing new; and yet it is but little known. It has the advantage of taking every thing alive and uninjured; so that, if your game gets into it, no harm is done; and it may therefore be set in the middle of a path; whereas, with all kinds of gins, you must either set them at the side of the path (with a bait suspended to a stick, to windward, for the vermin to smell, and jump at), or be liable to destroy your hares, pheasants, and other game, by putting what would mutilate them directly in their track. But in order not to dwell on so stupid a theme as a weasel-trap, let me hasten to conclude with the necessary directions.

This trap should be set in any track, or beaten path.

The vermin are conducted to it by means of sticking up a little avenue of boughs, so as to become more and more contracted as it approches the trap; and thus to lead the vermin up to it, in the same manner that wildfowl are conducted into the pipes of a decoy. There should be an avenue at each end, in order that the unsuspecting animals may see an easy thoroughfare, where, after having seized one bait, they are sure to pass on for the other, and thus tread on the fatal plate, which, by the way, should be full the width of the box, lest they might otherwise pass on

Length, 3 feet 6 inches; height, inside, 9 inches; breadth, ditto, 9 inches. A A show how far within the box the two baits are to be laid. B shows the stud at the end of the plate, which, when the vermin tread on that plate (in passing from the bait they have seized to the other bait that remains), becomes disengaged from the button (C and E), and the trap is instantly closed, at both ends, by the shutting down of D D, which should be made of either strong wire or thin sheet-iron with holes in order to show some light to which the vermin are attracted: otherwise they would gnaw a hole through the box and make their escape. Fig. 2. Gives a separate view of the plate, or "trencher."

one side of it. Any kind of bird, flesh, or entrails does for a bait. It should be cut up so as have a good scent, and then be dragged along the ground as a trail, from the burrow, or haunt of the vermin, to the spot where you find it most convenient to place the trap, and up to which they will follow the scent till they find and seize the bait. So much for the vermin-trap, for the masterly execution of which old Siney is the artist: I am only the inspector, reporter, and principal witness as to its efficacy.

DUCK GUNS.

[GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR.]

As we have now lost poor Joe Manton and Fullerd, I am rather puzzled to give advice about a duck gun, as it is an article scarcely understood by the London makers; and, when they get an order for one, they are obliged to charge an exorbitant price, because their journeymen require extra payment for all jobs out of the common line. As a specimen of this-I need only observe that, for a stock and furniture to a duck gun that I had renovated, about the year 1826, the journeymen's bills to the master (Lancaster) amounted to 81. 5s. 8d.! and after all, I had to send the stock to Burnett of Southamptom, to alter it, before I could shoot with it!-So much for duck guns from London. I allude to a gun of about 167b. or 18lb. weight. But as to a heavy single gun-(say under 14lb.) the London makers can serve you extremely well; as this just comes within the comprehension of themselves and their men.— There is no question that (except the flint) the copper SIDE-primer is the ONLY ignition for duck guns; and it matters not whether you have the original one of Joe Manton, Lancaster's, or my new one.

As we must now go to Birmingham for barrels, I should be inclined to hand over all the heavy duck gun-work to either Westley Richards, or Burnett of Southampton, or