SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING^ 17 



ferable ; but for subscription masters — too often 

 birds of passage from one country to another — the 

 boxes are cheapest in the end, being easily removed 

 to any desirable spot, and transferable by waggon 

 and railway from one locality to another ; and for 

 greater lightness, the roof may be a mere frame, 

 covered with felt or oil-cloth. In place of such 

 boxes — which are rather expensive articles — two 

 thatched hurdles, joined together at the top, with 

 boards underneath, will answer the purpose ; and a 

 good bedding of clean dry straw when the whelps 

 are a few days old. At the time of parturi- 

 tion, the bedding must be rather scanty, lest the 

 whelps, when so very young and helpless, should 

 be buried under it and overlaid by their mother. 



We plead no excuse for entering into these 

 minutiae, apparently so trifling, since from neglect 

 of such precautions, we have too often seen dire- 

 ful results follow. In large establishments, fox- 

 hound bitches have generally — save where the 

 huntsman has very long ears and a shallow 

 knowledge-box — the privilege of breathing the 

 fresh air of heaven, and plenty of walking exercise 

 to boot. There are men who, with all these 

 advantages, will still coop them up in the kennel, 

 until mother and offspring die together from utter 

 neglect; but there are minor establishments, con- 

 ducted by subscription, where, from local situation 

 and want of range, the master is so hampered and 

 circumvented, that he cannot breed his own entry 

 — he has no scope for doing so, not owning, per- 

 haps, an acre of land in the county. How can he 



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