150 FOXES AT HOME. 



entrance is required ; the foxes will soon make 

 others if they want them. 



Begin by digging a trench about two feet 

 wide, and certainly not less than four or five 

 feet deep, as much more as you please, straight 

 into the face of the hill for about fifteen feet, 

 and then branch off to the right and left (Fig. i), 

 at not too sharp an angle (about 130 degrees 

 with the main), for from fifteen to twenty feet 

 more, keeping the bottom of the trench, as near 

 as possible, on a horizontal plane ; next, down 

 the centre of this trench dig a smaller one 

 eight inches wide by seven inches deep, to 

 constitute the " earth," covering the latter with 

 tiles or fiags as wide and as long as you can get 

 them ; the sides of the hole are in this way 

 formed by the natural soil, which is nmch to be 

 preferred to either stone or brickwork, the latter 

 being apt to become damp and mildewy, and 

 foxes frequently contract mange from the chill 

 occasioned by lying against a cold, damp 

 surface, especially If run to ground very heated, 

 wet, and exhausted ; the natural soil, however, 

 will keep them dry and warm. The ends of the 

 holes should be prolonged, some two feet, say, 

 beyond the artificial covering by tunnelling with 



