92 FOX-HUNTING 



insect's increase ? Where rabbits are very heavily 

 stocked, it will be found that their coats are 

 swarming with insects, and this state of things is 

 the general prelude to a very heavy death-rate. 

 In moderation the flea and others of that tribe 

 may do good, but I advise you when turning foxes 

 down to see that their coats are free from every 

 sort of vermin. It never occurred to me before 

 that perhaps civilisation is suffering now in gout, 

 eczema, and other things, for having exterminated 

 that homely flea which must have been the 

 constant companion of our ancestors. If you 

 feed foxes — I have already said it is a bad practice 

 — always vary the entertainment as much as 

 possible, and never give meat. What you give 

 should be merely a little help and not a regular 

 meal. I have never yet seen a fox in confine- 

 ment with the gloss of health on his coat, which 

 proves they want certain foods that we cannot 

 provide. If you get mange in your coverts, the 

 best plan is to take two or three couple of old 

 hounds, net the rides and bag all the foxes, 

 then you can examine each carefully, destroying 

 the afi^ected and turning out again all the clean 

 ones. You want several assistants for this plan, 



