78 THE FOX 



the weakly and bad foxes. If a covert be not 

 drawn, foxes in a hunting country take refuge there. 

 Then the owner and keeper both feel that they have 

 more than their share of foxes and begin to reduce 

 them to a more manageable number. But they are of 

 course in fact killing the foxes that belong to other 

 parts of the hunt, and such a country is sure to be short 

 of foxes sooner or later. Whilst, however, foxes in 

 pheasant-coverts will do some harm and idle keepers 

 will exaggerate the mischief because foxes give them 

 trouble, it has always been the custom for owners of 

 coverts to help their foxhunting neighbours, feeling 

 justly that while with the shooting man it is only a 

 question of more or less, the very existence of fox- 

 hunting depends on hounds being allowed to draw 

 coverts without restrictions, and to find old wild foxes 

 when they come. This is one of the neighbourly 

 amenities of English country life which are sometimes 

 violated, but never without loss to the whole country- 

 side. But it is a matter for which there is no law and 

 as to which no rules can be laid down : it depends 

 entirely on good feeling on both sides. 



