Ground Vermin Keeping Foxes. 391 



after having suitably arranged the bag for the reception of 

 Reynard, to push him in by employing the forked stick to 

 lift him by his legs. As soon as the unhappy beast is in, 

 it will manage to scramble to the farthest extremity of the 

 bag, when the foot or stick laid across, close up to it, 

 prevents any movement until we have tied up the mouth 

 of the sack, leaving sufficient above the tieing by which to 

 carry it home. 



Directly one reaches home the fox must be shaken out 

 of the bag on to the floor, when one person must by means 

 of a stick the one we have in use with a fork will do 

 hold it with its head flat on the ground ; a second should 

 now seize the varmint, grasping one ear and as much skin 

 adjacent to the back of the mouth as possible in each 

 hand. This will, if the jaws be unsecured, force them wide 

 open ; in this position the animal cannot bite. A collar, 

 with two chains, one on each side, can now be easily fitted 

 on, and the person holding it is at liberty to throw the fox 

 forward, while two people extend each of the two chains. 

 When the varmint has been previously disabled, the ad- 

 justing of the collar, &c., is, of course, more easily effected, 

 which done, the coping can be cut on the top. The trap, 

 if still on, must be taken off, and, if necessary, any means 

 adopted to hasten the healing of the wound or pinch. The 

 best way to keep a fox, under the circumstances, is to 

 obtain a small barrel a potato barrel, if possible and 

 secure the two chains, one on each side, and just over the 

 edge of the barrel ; the chains, of course, should each have 

 one or more easily moving swivels, and must move on the 

 collar, not be permanently attached one on each of the 



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