Respectable People Support Poaching (Situational Irony)
Although animal poaching is illegal and therefore immoral in Danny's mind, he learns that respectable local citizens support his father's poaching habits; they also share in the spoils. Doctor Spencer, Sergeant Samways, the vicar, the taxi driver, and Mrs. Clipstone all take part in Danny's father's poaching scheme, happy to deprive Hazell of his game birds. This instance of situational irony undermines Danny's expectations of what is fair and just in a world where the wealthy hoard resources for themselves.
The Pheasants Wake Up (Situational Irony)
As Mrs. Clipstone approaches the filling station with a baby's pram full of pheasants, the pheasants wake up and fly away. Doctor Spencer observes that the sleeping pills they ate must have worn off. In this instance of situational irony, Danny's and his father's expectation that they will share their catch with local townspeople is undermined when the birds escape before they can be eaten.
Hazell Doesn't Know How the Pheasants Were Poached (Dramatic Irony)
While driving past the filling station on the way to welcome his guests to his shooting party, Mr. Hazell sees an unexpected sight: his brood of pheasants are perched on another man's property instead of in his forest. Hazell knows that Danny's father must have lured the birds to his service station, but he cannot prove anything because he can't imagine how Danny's father achieved such a feat. In this instance of dramatic irony, the reader knows the truth of what happened, delighting in Hazell's ignorance.
Six Pheasants Are Dead (Situational Irony)
Just as Danny and his father are lamenting with their friends about their lost catch, the doctor reveals that he found six dead pheasants in the bottom of the pram. He speculates that some greedy birds ate more raisins than others, overdosing on sleeping pills. In this instance of situational irony, the characters rejoice over the good news that they will get to eat roast pheasant that night after all.
