138 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



goes for an ass/ and he kicked young symptoms down 

 stairs. So, gentlemen, by the same rule, our foxes must 

 become sea fishermen as well as deer stalkers." 



Much applause followed the farmer's story, although 

 not a very new one ; and these sayings and doings being 

 repeated at head-quarters, did not fail to extort a re- 

 prieve for the foxes, and we never heard any more of 

 their aldermanic feasts. Ridicule will tell where remon- 

 strance fails. I shall, perhaps, be told of the quantity 

 of hen pheasants taken off their nests, which are always 

 laid by the keeper to the charge of his rival. It may 

 not be generally known that, by a wise ordination of 

 Providence, whose care is evident over all his works, that 

 very little scent belongs to birds, when sitting on their 

 eggs, the heat of their bodies being attracted downwards 

 to their nest. Two seasons ago, I had a partridge sit- 

 ting on seventeen eggs, within twenty yards of a waggon 

 track, which led to the farm-yard ; and, although I passed 

 close by the nest almost daily, with several dogs, they 

 were never attracted to the spot, and the bird hatched 

 all her eggs. 



Foxes are by no means heavy feeders, half a rabbit 

 generally sufficing for their single meal, and, as they do 

 not indulge in breakfast, dinner, and supper, however 

 many bad names may be given to them, they are free 

 from the charge of gluttony. When more food falls in 

 their way than they can make use of at this one meal, it 

 is carefully stowed away in a hole scratched in the earth, 

 and covered over for another night. When I first com- 

 menced keeping foxhounds, I thought more of preserving 

 foxes than game, and our home coverts near the kennels 

 were kept quiet, to ensure us plenty of foxes, for cub- 



