^6 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



There are now in the Kildare hunting district 

 sixty-one gorse coverts and twenty-five woods or 

 demesnes which are drawn and in which foxes are 

 found. 



Some say hounds are much faster now than formerly. 

 It may be so. But one thing is certain, so far as the 

 hunting in Kildare proves, that more foxes were killed 

 formerly than at present, considering the number 

 of days hounds were out. No doubt, as draining 

 was little known, there were fewer foxes run to 

 ground. 



The following table will prove this. Taking two 

 years during Sir John Kennedy's time, from November 

 to April, and two in Sir E. Kennedy's, the following 

 may be interesting. 



Sir E. Kennedy attributes the cause of so few 

 foxes being killed in the six years he was master to 

 the fact, that only seven cubs were killed during the 

 six years, the rest being old foxes. Few cubs having 

 been found, as traps were set for rabbits all over the 

 county, and cubs were caught, they not being as 

 clever as the old foxes to escape the mischief. 



It may interest some to know how the subscription 

 has increased, and also the field money ; it would be 

 useless to mention every time that a change occurred, 

 so I have selected three years. 



