TIIEIE CHIEF ENEMY. 277 



are shot and tra,pped, and buried under ground. It is, 

 liowever, not a very easy matter to trap a fox, for he has 

 a decided aversion to a dead bait, and likes to kill liis 

 prey. In countries where fox-hunting cannot be pursued 

 on account of the natural obstacles of the country, Key- 

 nard can only be considered as vermin, and there can be 

 certainly no harm in planning his destruction. In Ger- 

 many, one of the chief perquisites of the jager, or 

 gamekeeper, are the skins of foxes, martens, wild cats, 

 badgers, &c., which are only killed in the winter, when 

 the furs are in good condition ; and so skilful are these 

 jiigers with their rifles, that many of these animals are 

 killed with ball, but they prefer trapping them, and 

 rarely make use of a gun loaded with shot, from fear of 

 damasrinsf the fur. 



