BADGERS. 357 



which destroy young game and eggs, and seldom get in the 

 way of Pincher, the terrier. The foregoing details comprise 

 all that is required to be done for foxes in natural fox coverts. 



" If the coverts have not been previously occupied by foxes, 

 it is by no means certain that these animals can be induced to 

 voluntarily adopt them, even at the expenditure of much 

 trouble and expense. In any case, some foxes must be turned 

 down in them. Although it is easy to make an artificial earth, 

 which will cost about .10, the difficulty is to get the foxes to 

 use it. Foxes should never be turned down in the covert one 

 wants them to inhabit ; because, if this is done, they will 

 promptly disappear, on account of their dislike to stay in a 

 place which is known to their enemies. But if they are 

 turned down two or three fields away from the covert, they 

 will find the shelter for themselves, and will think that they 

 have defeated their foe. It is a good plan to put a vixen into 

 the artificial earth, and surround it by a fence made on the 

 principle of a deer leap. By this means, a fox coming to visit 

 the vixen, can jump in, but cannot escape. One must not, 

 however, keep him long, and must prevent other dog foxes from 

 entering the place. The vixen should come into residence 

 early in January, and if there are no wild foxes about, a dog 

 fox should be put along with her in the earth, which should 

 then be enclosed. If the prisoners are blessed with offspring, an 

 opening should be made in the fence, so that the whole family 

 may be able to get out. Whatever the old foxes do, the cubs 

 will never forget that this earth was their first home. They 

 can of course be supplied with dead rats, as before described. 



" Tom Firr believed that badgers kill cubs. Although badgers 

 are snappers up of unconsidered trifles, I hardly think that 

 they would go out of their way to add a cub to their menu, 

 which is large and varied. They certainly take poultry and 

 kill game and rabbits. I knew a case of a farmer who had 

 lost a large number of turkeys, and was making out a bill 



