48 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



of the south of England at much about the same 

 period, the various places of outbreak being separated 

 by wide tracts of country which were not infected. 

 This, then, suggested that there was a common cause 

 for the beginning of the epidemic, which was at work 

 in more than one place. What exactly this common 

 factor was has never been really proved, and even 

 now two reasons are given by those who have studied 

 the question. But first it must be mentioned that by 

 this time there was a decided shortage of foxes in 

 many countries, due entirely to the increase of game 

 preservation. In many hunts there was little or no 

 breeding stock left at the end of the season, and it 

 was known that no litters would be allowed to live 

 in certain coverts. It became, then, absolutely neces- 

 sary that some portions of certain countries should be 

 restocked, and that there should be litters of cubs 

 where it was known that they would be properly cared 

 for. It is no use blinking facts, and it is a fact that 

 importation of strange foxes was a necessity, which 

 had to be acted upon. Nor was there anything new 

 in the idea. In many countries restocking had been 

 tried with success well on to a hundred years 

 ago, where hunting had become popular in districts 

 where the fox had previously been regarded as 

 vermin. Much later too, in the forties, fifties, and 

 sixties, restocking had been resorted to (if it were 

 necessary the names of countries could be given), 

 and it was a very general opinion amongst those 

 well versed in the habits of foxes that an occasional 

 infusion of fresh blood was all for the good of the 

 tribe. Doubtless, however, great care was taken 

 both in seeing that the imported foxes were strong 

 and healthy, and taken from a wild country, and 



