1900]. Pattejrson. — Disappearajiceqf the FoxJro7nA7itrim. 277 



The people resented this reduction by only producing 7 

 Foxes in 1795. 



Thus in forty-seven years we get the enormous total of 1,462 

 Foxes produced at the Courts I^eet for this small portion of 

 Co. Antrim only, for which the " Manor of Glenarm " paid the 

 sum of ;^i59 4.?. 6^. 



Coming to more recent years, Thompson in his *' Natural 

 History of Ireland," vol. 4, page 12, says: ''The fox is still 

 found in suitable localities throughout the island, wherever it 

 can remain in spite of man." But he does not mention any 

 occurrences in Co. Antrim, although he records the killing 

 of 400 Foxes in Co. Down between 1827 and 185 1. 



The B.N.F.C. " Guide to Belfast," published in 1874, says 

 Foxes " seem to be rapidly decreasing before the gamekeeper's 

 gun and shepherd's trap." 



Lord Antrim informs me that the only Fox he ever heard of 

 in the two Baronies was killed in his deer-park about the year 

 1870. It was running with a rabbit trap on one of its legs, and 

 a wood- cutter killed it with a stick. The skin was preserved. 

 Lord Antrim is convinced there is not now a single Fox in 

 the two Baronies, nor has there been any since the 1870 

 capture. Even this one is supposed to have been " turned 

 out" by the late Mr. Chaine, for hunting purposes. Mr. Sheals, 

 the well-known Belfast taxidermist, informs me he cannot 

 remember having received any Foxes from Co. Antrim. 



Finally, in the whole of Ulster there is not one pack of Fox- 

 hounds, although there are two packs of Stag-hounds, and 

 eleven packs of Harriers, to satisfy the hunting proclivities of 

 the Northern gentry, who would doubtless hunt Foxes if there 

 were any Foxes to hunt. 



Malone Park, Belfast. 



A 2 



