Hoiv to Manage a Vixen and Her Cubs. 8i 



of being hung on the vermin pole. Rats of all 

 varieties, and mice, are much appreciated, and 

 where stacks of corn are being thrashed a big 

 supply of these may often be obtained. Water- 

 hens are also accounted orreat delicacies, and 

 so are pigeons. It will thus be seen that a good 

 deal of food may be obtained without interfering 

 with anything of much value for sport or the 

 larder, but it would be useless for the author to 

 seek to discount the trouble of keeping a litter of 

 cubs supplied. A man will be employed for at 

 least half his time during May and June; but the 

 saving of the game effected will well repay all 

 money and labour expended in that direction. 



It is useless, too, to try and conceal the fact that 

 a vixen is frequently killed as a means of saving 

 the game, and the cubs entirely fed by hand from 

 the moment they can eat flesh food, but in the 

 interests of hunting this system cannot be too 

 strongly condemned. In the interests of shooting 

 such procedure is all right, but cubs brought up 

 entirely by hand are seldom as strong and healthy 

 as those reared by a vixen. Plenty will come 

 forward to contend otherwise, but facts are against 

 them. It is only by the most careful feeding that 

 cubs lacking a vixen can be kept healthy, and to 

 provide them with carrion and offal is sure finally 



G 



