CUBS, FOXES, AND VIXENS. 281 



one. When you see the birds come running 

 up to meet you, and peck the corn that you 

 let fall, you know full well that they are tame 

 birds. So the huntsman knows, and can 

 easily tell whether the cubs have had a vixen 

 to train then up or not. Every man to his 

 trade. 



These tame foxes are no good to the hunt, 

 they will only run round the wood again and 

 again, and get killed, two or three in one day. 

 " So much the better, if they killed them all 

 in one day," you say. Well, 1 ask you, is it 

 worth taking all the trouble you have with 

 these cubs? I think not. I, for my part 

 would rather kill the vixen before she lay down 

 her young, than take all that trouble after she 

 has done so, for by depriving the cubs of their 

 mother you have to encounter the following 

 drawbacks. 



First, you have to feed the cubs yourself. 

 Secondly, the moment the cub begins to leave 

 the earths, he hunts round home on his own 

 account, in amongst your tame birds, thus 

 causing tremendous loss. Thirdly, these cubs 



