124 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



honourable a practice, that is, supposing these 

 foxes were bred in any hunting country ; for the 

 consequence of it is that the mangy young foxes, 

 in the course of a short time, find out all the 

 fox-earths near, and instinctively make use of 

 them, thereby infecting them with mange, so that 

 every native which enters these earths for some 

 time afterwards, catches the disease. The reason 

 why foxes, purchased as above described, become 

 thus mangy is, that this atrocious trade is gener- 

 ally kept by men who reside in London, and they 

 have not a room sufficiently large to keep them 

 clean ; and when once that one room has been 

 infected, it is scarcely possible to cleanse it. There 

 is another cause to which the introduction of 

 mangy foxes into the country may be attributed, 

 that is, owing to a fox having by some means 

 taken poisoned food, but not sufficient to destroy 

 him. This is well known to have that effect on all 

 animals, and in none more than a fox and a rat, 

 both of which in the course of time recover their 

 health ; but it is at least two years before they 

 recover their coats or fur. That they do recover 

 is certain, although it has not been discovered 

 what its instinct has applied as a cure ; but to 

 something there is little doubt, as we may judge 

 by the canine race, for unless a dog which is 

 affected by mange is not properly attended to, he 



