CHAPTER IV. 



MANGE IN FOXES. 



" . . . . Terrifick pest that blasts 

 The Huntsman's hopes, and desolation spreads! "' 



There are two kinds of mange. One a purely 

 skin disease, where, although the hair drops, or 

 rather is rubbed, off by perpetual scratching, 

 the victim lives a considerable time, daily 

 growing weaker and weaker from being always 

 on the move. 



The skin becomes very irritable and itchy^ 

 and the get-at-able places which the fox can 

 bite and scratch soon become bare and patchy. 

 The brush, as a rule, first appears ragged, then 

 the sides, flank, and back show up bare, and, if 

 the wretched animal only lives long enough, the 

 whole body, except the head and neck, which 

 seem to be affected last, eventually becomes 

 devoid of hair and, in bad cases, covered with 

 a scab almost thick enough to turn a charge of 

 shot. A fine, healthy, well fed fox is a lovely 

 animal to look at, but a real mangy brute, which 



