148 foxes at home. 



Artificial Earths. 



In a fox hunting country and where rabbits 

 are plentiful it should seldom be necessary to 

 have recourse to artificial earths ; it is much 

 better to trust to Nature and let the foxes make 

 shift for themselves, which they will invariably 

 do, if the coverts are kept quiet, either by 

 enlarging some rabbit burrow or, should the soil 

 be light or sandy, by excavating on their own 

 account ; the former course is, however, the usual 

 one, especially when the holes run deep and 

 dry. 



Artificial earths, if not properly constructed, 

 may easily become a plague spot in the country 

 side, as, unless perfectly dry, they are very apt 

 to give mange to every fox that uses them, or, 

 should fox-stealers be about, by acting as traps 

 in which they can be easily captured ; they 

 should, therefore, not be resorted to unless in 

 extreme cases, such as, when having no natural 

 earths on one's own groundj an endeavour must 

 be made to induce those foxes which breed on 

 that of a neighbouring vulpecide to come where 

 they will be safe, at any rate until the litters 

 begin to break up, and the cubs to look after 



