78 Game and Foxes. 



fences, a farmer not possessing friendly inclina- 

 tions towards hunting may do his best to drive 

 her and the litter from the neighbourhood, even if 

 he does not resort to worse measures. Before the 

 passing of the Ground Game Act all rabbits 

 belonged to the landlord, and, as they lived on 

 the produce of the farm, the farmer did not mind 

 how a vixen reduced their numbers ; but now that 

 he possesses a concurrent right to those rabbits, 

 he regards the presence of a fox from a different 

 point of view. Because a vixen is likely to be 

 interfered with, that is, trapped or poisoned, a 

 strict watch must be kept to protect the earth, 

 and to discover at once if she is missing ; if the 

 latter occurs the cubs must be fed by hand, or 

 they will die. Should fox-destroying neigh- 

 bours be feared on any hand, evidence that the 

 vixen is still alive and doing her duty by the cubs 

 must be looked for at frequent intervals, for she 

 forages widely, particularly in a district where 

 food is scarce, and may be harshly dealt with at 

 any moment. 



When the nesting season arrives it is of 

 undoubted advantage to feed cubs, but how 

 seldom is this conducted properly and with due 

 regard to the saving of the game I Most men 

 deem it sufficient to throw down provender near 



