If a person qualified to kill game in right of his property, (that is, by inheritance of a FREEHOLD landed estate of the clear yearly value of ONE HUNDRED POUNDS per annum, or a LEASEHOLD of ONE HUNDRED and FIFTY in his own, or his WIFE'S right,) does so at any one time without having taken out an annual certificate as aforesaid, and for which the sum of THREE GUINEAS has been previously paid, he is then liable to a penalty of twenty-pounds. And _any_ person qualified, or unqualified, killing any PARTRIDGE between the _first_ of FEBRUARY and the _first_ of SEPTEMBER, in any year, is liable to an additional penalty of FIVE POUNDS to those already recited for each offence. It is natural to conceive, that the various modes of punishment annexed to a transgression of what are termed the GAME-LAWS, would have operated to a perfect and complete prohibition: that it may _now_ have nearly reached the zenith of that effect _by day_, is admitted; but that a total suppression of the NOCTURNAL depredators can ever be accomplished, the annual destruction, and almost _public sale_, of game, leave very little reason to expect.
PARTRIDGES, in their natural and infant state, accompany the hen in search of food, obey the cluck of the mother, and are protected by the clutch of her wings, in the same manner as chicken, and other domestic fowl. The hen is so instinctively attached to her young, that she will encounter every difficulty, and face death in every form, to insure _their_ safety: although stupidly timid, and rendered almost insensible by her own fears, upon _other_ occasions, yet great sagacity is observable in her endeavours to preserve her offspring. When they are very young, and unable to save themselves by flight; and in all cases of danger, when approached by that fatal enemy the dog; the hen will rise, and lead him on, by short flights, or rather hoverings, of twenty and thirty yards, but just above the ground, till, having induced him to follow a sufficient distance from the seat of all her fears, she takes a long, and more circuitous route at her next flight; where, after finding she has completely baffled her pursuer, another effort brings her to her young in safety. When separated by danger (whether the approach of the dog and gun in the sporting season, or by other means) even to a great distance, they are invariably brought again together by the inherent property of CALLING, which they possess in so powerful a degree, as to insure a very expeditious recovery of each other. The imitation of this _call_ has been brought to great perfection by the fraternity of POACHERS, who avail themselves of the birds' too great credulity, which is frequently the cause of their destruction.