The  buzzard  and  dun  kite  also  found  a  home  and
protection  in  our  coverts ;  and  as  for  rooks,  every


SCIENCE    OF    FOXHUNTING.  421

tree  in  the  park,  and  even  the  large  laurels  around
the  house,  were  loaded  with  their  nests ;  and  to  give
some  idea  of  their  countless  numbers,  the  sky  was
positively  darkened  as  they  hovered  over  us  before
descending  to  their  roosting-places  in  the  lofty  elm
and  oak  trees  which  surrounded  the  lawn.  In  the
face  of  all  these  supposed  enemies  to  game,  we
always  had  an  abundance  of  it ;  and  partridges  par-
ticularly were  so  numerous  that  we  could  kill  during
September  our  thirty  brace  a  day,  if  required.  The
land  also  under  cultivation  was  never  more  produc-
tive than  at  that  period.  These  are  stubborn  facts,
which  may  be  cavilled  at  by  game  preservers  of  the
present  day;  but  they  are,  nevertheless,  perfectly
true,  and  could  be  vouched  for  by  old  men  living  in
the  neighbourhood,  besides  ourselves.
Now,  as  rooks  have  been  accused  of  sucking  eggs,
and  even  killing  young  ducks  and  chickens,  we  leave
these  assertions  to  be  digested  by  those  who  have  so
mistaken  their  natural  calling.  Our  poultry  yard
stood  in  the  midst  of  this  huge  colony  of  ^^  black
barons  of  the  wood,^'  where  they  were  seen  strutting
about,  as  over  the  lawns  and  gardens,  in  perfect
security ;  yet  the  loss  of  chicken  or  duckling  was
never  charged  against  them.  Perhaps  it  may  be
that  out  of  gratitude  to  their  protectors  such  for-
bearance was  exhibited  towards  the  young  poultry.
No  matter  from  what  cause,  our  statements  of  these
facts  cannot  be  contravened.
