384 Practical Game Preserving. 



three parts or full grown, steps must be immediately taken 

 to capture the vermin. In the event of having the necessary 

 gins present, they may be immediately set at the entrances 

 to the several holes, care being taken to till at every one, 

 and not to overlook the existence of any. The hands 

 should not be employed more than is absolutely necessary, 

 and the setting must be to all intents an eminently " kinly 

 job." 



If, on the other hand, one have no materials at hand, the 

 earth must be thoroughly stopped, to prevent either ingress 

 or egress, and a speedy return made to obtain the necessary 

 gins. It is but little good employing other than stones to 

 stop the holes, and these may be further improved upon 

 by the insertion of a good stiff and thickset branch of gorse 

 or thorn first, and the hard driving in of the stone afterwards. 

 The traps must not be placed more than an inch or two 

 inside the holes, while no opportunity for the fox, once 

 caught, to obtain a leverage to aid in forcing the gin must 

 be allowed to exist. We would advise, if the holes be 

 not very numerous, the setting of two at each, one exactly 

 at the entrance, the other i8in. to 2ft. outside. When it is 

 known that the cubs are getting to a good size and acquiring 

 some of the experience of life, it is certainly a safer plan 

 to dig them out sometimes, however, very impracticable 

 or even impossible, at others a matter of little or no 

 trouble. No inexperienced hand should attempt to lift out 

 the cubs, for only one who knows how to take hold of a 

 fox can do so without getting bitten. 



Curiously enough, the fox, when tamed, generally forms 

 an acquaintance ending in strong friendship with a cat or 



