74 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



An objection to breaking up the earths has been 

 pointed out to me as relates to the fees to keepers, that 

 if there were no earths to stop, and consequently no 

 fees for doing so, the keej>ers, feeling less interest in 

 the preservation of foxes, would be still greater enemies 

 to them ; but that difficulty is very easily overcome by 

 a custom adopted in some countries of paying the 

 keepers a certain sum every hunting day on which a 

 fox is found in the coverts of which they have the care, 

 a portion of that sum being reserved in case a fox goes 

 to ground in an earth which they have neglected to 

 stop. 



Before I conclude this chapter on the habits of the 

 vulpine race, it is necessary to introduce the subject of 

 coverts. When our forefathers first began to hunt the 

 fox they no doubt confined their operations to the large 

 woods and rocky cliffs, the original, and, I may add, 

 natural places of resort of the vulpine race. In wild, 

 uncultivated districts a species of gorse springs up, 

 generally on the sides or summits of hills; it appears to 

 be indigenous to the soil. Those situations may like- 

 wise be included as having afforded amusement to our 

 worthy ancestors. It may be very readily understood 

 that when the large woodlands had been frequently 

 routed the foxes took to the smaller coverts which then 

 existed, formed both by nature and art, such as are 

 known by the names of gullies, dingles, spinnies, 

 coppices, and brakes, hollows, or bottoms, generally 

 acknowledged as ' fox-ground.' At the same time, it 

 may be observed there are some particular spots which 

 those animals do not appear to patronise ; for I have 

 known some ' very likely places ' where foxes never lie, 

 and very seldom, if ever, run through them. 



As foxes became dispersed, it was found more agree- 

 able to hunt them over the open plains than through 

 the woodlands, especially by those who were ambitious 

 to exhibit their equestrian prowess ; and to encourage 

 the foxes to frequent smaller coverts from whence each 

 horseman had an equal chance of ' a fair start ' followed 



