NOTITIA. VENATICA. 141 



been tlisappointed, and, at the same time, know that there are some 

 foxes in the neighhonrhood, yon should, upon coming away, just allow 

 the hounds to run through what is termed in some counties " the 

 spring," or what was the last year's cutting. I have very frequently 

 seen foxes found there, more especially if there are some heaps of fag- 

 gots still left, which afford nice Avarm places for kennels, and, indeed, 

 even for vixens to lay up their cubs in. I once found a fox in the cars 

 below Beverley, in a very curious place. We had been requested by a 

 farmer to meet at his house in that neighbourhood, to disturb the foxes 

 in the montli of March, as, to use his own words, he Avas nearly cat up 

 with them. Now there was no cover within two miles of the place that 

 would have concealed a rabbit ; nevertheless, in drawing a long line of 

 open and perfectly bare plantation of fir trees, I could plainly see by 

 the hounds that a fox had been on his feed at a very late hour in the 

 morning, as they could almost speak to it : at last, as we were coming 

 away, and giving it np as merely the stale line of some old travelling- 

 dog-fox, a couple of hounds hung to a large lieap of posts and rails, 

 which had been cleaved out of the black wood found so plentifully in 

 some old bogs in Yorkshire and many other parts of England : to this 

 place their well-known tongues innnediately drew the pack, and here we 

 found a whole colony. After putting in a small dog of the farmer's, we 

 bolted an old dog-fox, which avc killed, after running him eighteen 

 minutes without a check, in the village of Routli : how many more 

 there were Ave could not tell, as avc did not return to disturb the place, 

 the earth-stopper discovering after Ave had left that there Avas a vixen 

 and a litter of cubs among the timber. I have seen foxes found in all 

 sorts of curious out-of-the-Avay jdaces, and Avhere any one Avould little 

 dream of going purposely to look for the animal. Besides in turnip- 

 fields,* where they are frequently found, being regularly draAvn by 

 hounds in some countries, you may sometimes Avhip foxes out of stubble- 

 cocks, hedge-roAvs, and bushes of ivy groAving either against trees or 

 old Avails, and I have frequently seen them lying (especially Avhen the 

 covers have been much disturbed) on the bare ground in falloAv-fields ; 

 and although their beautiful hazel eyes are staring Avidc open, they Avill 

 generally alloAv you to approach on your horse within almost the length 

 of a Avhip-thong before they make any attempt to cscajje. In my early 

 days, Avhen the covers at Farmbro' (Mr. Holbeach's j)lace in Warwick- 

 shire) could not supply a fox, the custom used to be to try an old cart- 

 hovel close at hand, Avlicre the foxes had a sort of earth under the 

 thatch that reached to the ground on one side, and Avliere they Avere 

 generally found at home. Woods, AA'hich later in the year generally 

 hold foxes, are, during the months of September and beginning of 

 October, rendered frequently very uncertain, by being disturbed not 

 only by shooters, but by a vast concourse of persons, in some countries, 

 Avalking in them to gather the nuts. 



* In drawing a turnip-field for a fox, care should be taken to allow the fox, if pos- 

 sible, time to get a-head into one of the furrows ; as, if he once begins to jump in the 

 high turnips, and the hounds catch a view of him, he is certain to be chopped. 



