FOXES 99 



it would be a pity to exterminate him on insuffi- 

 cient grounds. Perhaps some of the real culprits 

 have been foxes themselves, for a vixen with 

 young cubs will not tolerate those of even her 

 dearest friend, and if they intrude she just gives 

 them a snap on the top of their heads, and cracks 

 their skulls ! 



Mr. Elsey's letter on the subject of badgers, 

 foxes, and cats, is given in extenso as follows : — 



" Few people thought we had either badgers or 

 otters in this neighbourhood, yet my old terrier 

 drove a badger out of my artificial earth in front 

 of hounds, and he weighed 30 lbs. Also when 

 the Bucks Otter Hounds came to the small 

 river, the Bain, they quickly found the scent of, 

 and killed, an otter ; and again this season they 

 killed two otters in another small stream at 

 Somerby, when few people thought or believed 

 there were any about. A badger that has got 

 first possession of an artificial earth will keep it 

 clear of foxes ; and so also will a cat ! This is 

 my own experience. I have had to bolt and kill 

 two or three cats out of my earth, and had no 

 foxes there while a cat was in possession, though 

 several were about, which very quickly took to 

 lying in the earth again after the cats were 

 killed." 



Mr. Elsey has perfected an extremely success- 

 ful plan of an artificial fox-earth, the details of 

 which he kindly furnished me with some years 

 ago, and which has proved very successful else- 

 where than in its original home. (It is best 

 made in duplicate, so that, when bolting foxes, 

 those that first come out can be allowed to escape 

 into Box No. 2.) 



Clay is the best soil for an artificial earth, as 



