46 FOX-HUNTING 



In this way the pups learn to feed themselves, and 

 as their requirements grow daily, whilst bitch's 

 milk gets less, they do not feel the moment when 

 they are eventually weaned. The best milk is 

 that of goats ; but as I do not suppose you would 

 wish to keep a herd of those animals, you must 

 fall back on the cow. At five or six weeks old 

 you can soak bread in the milk, and then biscuit. 

 A little raw fresh meat is good for weakly pups, 

 but it should be cut up small, or they will bolt 

 it in pieces larger than their little digestions can 

 manage. It is a good plan to have a boy to 

 devote his whole time in looking after the bitches 

 and pups, but of course he must be under your 

 feeder's eye. The straw should be changed at 

 least every other day, and the bed sprinkled with 

 sulphur. 



Until lately it was the custom to remove certain 

 little buttons and flaps that are of no apparent use 

 from the inside of the ear, in order to mark the 

 different litters. Now a system of tattooing has 

 been introduced, and a combination of letters 

 with numbers is stamped on the inside of the ear, 

 so that by using a different combination several 

 litters can be marked with comparatively few 



