i<:ffects of physic on hound and dog. 101 



my long practice in varied sport has stamped 

 upon my mind, beneath the headin<i,' of the 

 chapter within which they ought to come ; but as 

 things thus, so to speak, occur to me out of place, 

 my readers will, I hope, pardon me for such 

 digression. 



It is in the imagination of some landed pro- 

 prietors, that under the desire of having game and 

 foxes they ought to keep a certain head of rabbits ; 

 but the rabbits do not save the game unless the 

 rabbits are hilled for the foxes. If the old foxes 

 catch a rabbit for their cubs, both dog and vixen do 

 so; when they have taken the food to the earth or 

 old pollard stump, in going out for another rabbit, 

 they may come across a leveret, or an old pheasant 

 on her nest, or a pheasant with a nide of young 

 ones, and being thus intercepted by mischievous 

 temptation, do a deal of harm. Pheasants are more 

 delicate food than rabbits, and foxes j^refer them 

 to anything else, just as the house cat likes game 

 better than rats or mice. The rabbits in sjDring 

 and summer should, therefore, be shot when out 

 at feed by the keepers, and left to lie Avhere they 

 are killed, not handled in any way. 



I have known this practised to such an extent 



