THE FOX 117 



put in one of the strips, and stick the other end 

 into the ground and set fire to it ; or smear the 

 side of the hole with gas-tar — much the shortest 

 way — and the old one will take the cubs away 

 where they probably may not be found again. 

 This should be done when cubs are very young, 

 or fox-takers will have them if they are old enough 

 to take care of themselves, or even to eat. They 

 have dogs which can go into the main earths, and 

 are taught to bring the cubs out alive in their 

 mouths ; therefore when they are moved these 

 fox-takers will not readily find them, and must 

 be seen if they are looking about for them ; and 

 at this time of the year it is well worth while 

 to employ some persons to look out for these 

 customers. 



Cubs which are bought and turned out seldom 

 come to anything, although they are as fine-looking 

 foxes as wild ones, unless they are allowed to 

 remain where they are put down till late in the 

 season, at all events till after Christmas, by which 

 time they have learnt to find their own food, and 

 have probably been moved by shooters, dogs, etc., 

 and have learnt their way about from cover to 

 cover. But if a litter of cubs has been put down 

 in a wood and regularly fed, although they are all 

 fine foxes, and hunted so early as September, in 

 October or November they may be found once ; 



