Fox Preservation Coverts. 527 



The game preserver who holds rabbits fairly plentiful in 

 his coverts need never fear much depredation among his 

 pheasants and partridges by foxes. Consequently, the more 

 plentiful small sporting-warrens and gorse-coverts for rabbits 

 become, the less damage to game. 



The ill-will existing in many parts between farmers and 

 fox-hunters, and its consequent attendant amount of vulpi- 

 cide, might easily be remedied were more consideration 

 shown towards the farmers and their property. Care for 

 growing crops, fences, and stock, and a fair compensation 

 for all damage done, would soon pay for itself in many 

 localities by the increase in foxes. 



Fox coverts may be of two kinds, either as a preserve 

 or as a place where increased facilities are offered for 

 breeding. Of the former we need say little, because any 

 ordinary rough covert will prove applicable to foxes ; but we 

 may with advantage state that the general idea of what 

 is agreeable to them is somewhat erroneous. Although 

 foxes like a thick, rough, miscellaneous growth about their 

 haunt, they above all things like to "run free." Woods 

 and plantations possessing thick close-growing bottoms of 

 furze and the rest, foxes do not like. They are not of 

 the same nature as a rabbit spaniel, which delights in 

 pushing here, there, and everywhere through an almost 

 impassable growth; on the contrary, foxes prefer to see 

 their way well before them, and run " free " without being 

 hindered by furze and bramble and other low, thick-growing 

 and tough brake. On the question of water, too, they have 

 their likes and dislikes. They greatly prefer coverts with 

 ditches or streams running through them, but they unmis- 



