752 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



Coppices, of three or four years standing, with heath or 

 furze at bottom, are the most likely retreats of foxes. 



When there are plenty of foxes in a string of covers, 

 considerable caution is necessary to prevent them from 

 being all disturbed in one day. Foxes generally go down 

 the wind to their kennel, therefore, the huntsman should 

 begin drawing the furthest cover down the wind, and pro- 

 ceed from one cover to another, up the wind, till he finds a 

 fox. This precaution will be attended with these advan- 

 tages : he will draw the covers more speedily, there will be 

 less difficulty in getting hounds away, and as the fox most 

 likely will near the covers already down, there is less proba- 

 bility of changing, and those covers which are up the wind, 

 beyond where the fox is found, remain quite undisturbed. 



Large covers should be first well traversed before proceed- 

 ing to smaller ones, as by the reverse system, the foxes are 

 driven to where there are plenty already. Hounds that 

 come away with the first fox that breaks cover, do not dis- 

 turb the cover, and, therefore, the same part may be again 

 tried, with pretty good prospect of success ; but when foxes 

 are scarce, the same cover should never be drawn two days 

 successively. 



Furze covers should always be very closely drawn, and if 

 a fox is found in them, he should never be hallooed until 

 quite clear of them ; from such situations, hounds are cer- 

 tain to go off well with him ; but if too hastily hallooed, the 

 fox will naturally return to cover, and is certain immediately 

 to fall a victim to the hounds. 



Long drags, in large covers, always give advantage to the 

 fox, who frequently takes the hint, and escapes with all due 

 alacrity ; this, however, may be prevented, by throwing the 

 hounds into that part of the cover where he is most likely 

 to kennel; the huntsman, in such a case, should be careful 



