70 



FOXES AT HOME. 



certain to contract it from them in time, if not 

 the first year, then the next, when all your 

 labour will have been in vain. For two or three 

 years here we spared the main earths and 

 those in favourite places, stopping them for 

 months, and trying to disinfect them, not liking 

 to do away with them altogether lest the foxes 

 might be driven off the ground. This, however, 

 was a mistake which we had cause to bitterly 

 repent later on. The infection will remain in 

 the earths ior years, so they should be entirely 

 orot rid of ; the foxes will soon provide others, 

 either by enlarging rabbit burrows or making 

 fresh ones. Any fox on the ground, however 

 slightly infected, should be also ruthlessly 

 destroyed. 



When wishing to obtain foxes to turn down, 

 the proper method to pursue is to apply to the 

 secretary of your hunt, who may know of litters 

 which have to be shifted from other parts of 

 the country, where perhaps they are not wanted, 

 as there are always persons in every hunt who 

 will never allow wild litters, or more than one 

 perhaps, on their ground, and the fact of your 

 requiring some may be a great relief to the 

 worthy secretary's mind, as it is not always easy 



