LETTER XXIX. 325 



and with the majority of men who go out hunting, his 

 plan succeeds. A master of hounds is almost puzzled 

 how to deal with him, although he may be satisfied in 

 his own mind of his malpractices. You cannot assert 

 that he kills foxes, without proof positive ; you may 

 hint your suspicions to the master or the man, but you 

 are met, in liminey with the retort courteous, " What 

 just cause of complaint have you ? whenever the coverts 

 are drawn there is a fox." There is your answer. You 

 have, in fact, nothing to say. Your only plan is to be 

 quiet, watch him carefully, and you will catch him out. 



From the description given of this man's coverts, and 

 the fact of there being a litter of cubs occasionally bred 

 there, I should suppose them to be a natural resort of 

 foxes, and such being the case, he has no occasion to 

 employ railroads or stage coaches to convey them to his 

 locality. They come there without having their passage 

 paid, willingly and uninvited, perhaps, although we are 

 aware of certain drugs, by which foxes may be drawn to 

 a certain spot, even from long distances. This dodge 

 possibly may be practised in this instance, although it 

 strikes me as an unnecessary one. The country around 

 being regularly hunted by hounds, foxes will resort to 

 this man's coverts for quietude, if not attracted there by 

 game, and few have an idea of 4;he number of foxes dis- 

 posed of in one season by an old and skilful keeper so 

 situated. There are many ways of catching foxes with- 

 out injuring them; and if there is in addition a head of 

 earths on the ground, here is a live trap at once ready 

 made to his hand. I should not be surprised if this man 

 destroys from ten to fifteen brace of foxes in a season. 

 He will keep one always in reserve for the hounds 



