COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 119 



foxes killed, twenty brace. The hounds were very- 

 unsteady. I took the same pack out every day till 

 they became more trustworthy, and then added a 

 few of the wilder ones. 



Importation of Foxes from Scotland. 



1874. — Last summer the following advertisement 

 appeared in the People s Journal, a newspaper widely 

 circulated, published at Cupar in the county of Fife : — 



To Gamekeepers. — Wanted a few brace of young foxes. 

 Will pay a fair price for them. Apply, stating terms, to John 

 Christison, Chale Abbey, Chale, Isle of Wight. 



In consequence of this advertisement a box labelled 

 " Live Stock, sender Findlay," was despatched on 

 loth July to the above address. I then wrote to the 

 editor of the People s Journal : — 



" I have made enquiries about Mr. Christison, 

 but as yet have been able to hear nothing about 

 him, and as it is near the time when cubs make 

 their appearance I venture to trouble you with this 

 communication in the hope of bringing the subject 

 to his notice. I beg to inform him that the county 

 of Fife has been regularly hunted for many years, 

 and if he refers to any of the sporting papers he will 

 see that it has been hunted five and six days a 

 week during the present season, and that foxes are 

 quite as valuable, and blank days equally detestable, 

 to all the fox-hunters in Fife as in the Isle of Wight, 

 or any other part of the kingdom ; and that we 

 consider it most unsportsmanlike and ungentleman- 

 like to hold out any inducement to unprincipled 



