GROUND AND WATER ENEMIES 89 



we saw a new brood on the water, we captured and kept 

 them in the chicken yard until they were quite large 

 enough to care for themselves." 



Pike also take young ducks, and turtles, where they 

 are abundant, are a serious check to the increase of 

 ducks. 



The Fox. — In places where foxes are numerous un- 

 doubtedly they destroy many game birds as well as poul- 

 try. Mr. F. E. R. Fryer, an English authority on game 

 preserving, says : "Although I am of the opinion that in 

 the long run it is best not to attempt game preserving 

 on a large scale in a fox-hunting county, just as I think 

 it is a mistake to try to start a pack of hounds in a good 

 partridge county, a few hints as to the best way to pro- 

 tect the partridge from the fox may be of interest to 

 some, who, though all in favor of fox-hunting, like occa- 

 sionally to take a gun out." Mr. Fryer insists that it is 

 necessary to have a good keeper to control foxes and that 

 he must know every nest and endeavor to prevent them 

 getting at it. 



The rearing field for ducks should be wired, and traps 

 for foxes should be distributed liberally outside the wire 

 and in all likely places. Dogs on the preserve are useful 

 to keep foxes away, and where foxes are numerous they 

 should be hunted with hounds and destroyed. The game- 

 keeper does not hesitate to shoot a fox, in America, but in 

 England often he is ordered to preserve the foxes, and 

 in fox-hunting counties the gamekeeper's work is more 

 difficult than it is in places where foxes are controlled. 

 An abundance of rabbits is desirable, since foxes are 

 fond of them and find them easier to catch than game 

 birds are. Owen Jones calls rabbits the fox's bread and 



