262 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



for the others, without that, would be useless. Besides, 

 I am not certain that earths are the safest places for 

 foxes to breed in ; for frequently, when poachers can- 

 not dig them, they will catch the young foxes in 

 trenches dug at the mouth of the hole, which I believe 

 they call tunning them. A few large earths near to 

 your house, are certainly desirable, as they will draw 

 the foxes thither, and, after a long day, will sometimes 

 bring you home. 



If foxes should have been bred in an earth which 

 you think unsafe x you had better stink them out : that, 

 or indeed any disturbance at the mouth of the hole, 

 will make the old one carry them off to another place. 



In open countries, foxes, when they are much dis- 

 turbed, will lie at earth. If you have difficulty in 

 finding, stinking the earths will sometimes produce 

 them again. The method which I use to stink an 

 earth, is as follows : — Three pounds of sulphur and 

 one pound of asafcetida are boiled up together : matches 

 are then made of brown paper, and lighted in the holes, 

 which are afterwards stopped very close. Earths that 

 are not used by badgers, may be stopped early, which 

 will answer the same purpose ; but, where badgers fre- 

 quent, it would be useless ; for they would open them 

 again. 



Badgers may be caught alive in sacks placed at 

 the mouth of the hole : setting traps for them would 

 be dangerous, as you might catch your foxes also : 

 they may be caught by stinking them out of a great 

 earth, and afterwards following them to a smaller one, 

 and digging them. 



