EVERLASTING QUESTION 111 



verified — may serve to show that such 

 complaints are not always unreasonable. 

 If you turn the pages of the Encyclopedia 

 of Sport, you will find an article on the 

 fox by the famous Mr. T. Firr. And 

 this is all he has to say on the question 

 of food-supply : — 



A Rover by night, the fox turns out soon after 

 the setting of the sun, and embarks upon his 

 usual rounds in search of food, rabbits, rats, mice, 

 beetles, etc. ; of rats and mice he is particularly 

 fond, whilst the number of beetles he gets is 

 astonishing. 



And that is all ; not a single word of 

 pheasants, partridges, leverets, grouse, and 

 lambs unless they be included after beetles 

 in a singularly comprehensive 'etc' 



Such suppression of matters of common 

 knowledge — probably deemed a judicious 

 expedient, is really a most short-sighted 

 policy, and the keeper who had just lost 

 a score of nests would feel anything but 

 charitably disposed towards the hunting 

 friend who talked to him about *the as- 

 tonishing number of beetles that foxes eat.' 



