EARTH-STOPPING 141 



ing of foxes, for the vixens would breed above 

 ground in furze, or would find drains, which no 

 one knows of, etc. But every fox-earth in the 

 country is known to all poachers and fox-takers 

 and keepers ; consequently, every litter of foxes 

 bred in them is known, and unless it is possible to 

 have a constant watch over them, they may be 

 taken in half an hour by various methods, none 

 more fatal than terriers, which are taught to bring 

 the cubs out alive in their mouths, or by digging 

 pits at the mouth of the earth into which the cubs 

 drop when they attempt to come out, which they 

 will do shortly after they can see, in consequence 

 of hunger, if the old vixen is kept away, who, 

 poor thing ! is watching close by, but dares not 

 come to them, as one of these atrocious ruffians of 

 fox-takers is near, ready to take the cubs when 

 they fall into the pit. Added to which, the vixen 

 often falls a victim to the keeper's gun at these 

 main earths, for many have been known to place 

 themselves on a tree over the earth, or near it, 

 and so shoot the old vixen at the mouth of the 

 earth ; indeed, more keepers than one have been 

 actually caught watching in a tree, with their gun, 

 for that purpose. 



But all this is avoided if the cubs are bred above 

 ground, as no man then knows where they are, till 

 probably he has found them out by accident ; and 



