BEASTS OF THE CHASE. THE FOX. 71 



mother they may become as useless for hunting purposes as 

 tame cats. 



It is not an uncommon trick with keepers, who, whatever 

 they may say to the contrary, all hate foxes, to kill the old ones 

 a few weeks after laying down, and to hand rear the cubs on 

 rabbits, rooks, offal, or even milk where it can be charged to 

 the game account. 



Thus artificially raised, young master fox grows up an emas- 

 culate and almost innocuous animal. He would probably kill 

 the chickens if he got into the poultry yard, which he is not 

 allowed to do, but never having felt the pangs of hunger, he 

 has for the most part neither the wish nor the ability to destroy 

 game. When the hounds come, a splendid show of foxes and 

 pheasants dazzles the uninitiated. The huntsman of course 

 soon sees through the trick, and having blooded his pack easily 

 and liberally, goes away laughing in his sleeve, and gives his 

 master a hint that this is a good place on a bad-scenting day. 

 During the remainder of the season the field will occasionally 

 express surprise that the foxes in Mr. So-and-So's coverts 

 hardly seem to know their way from one quarter to another of 

 the wood in which they were littered ; but beyond this, scant 

 notice is taken, and the farce may be successfully played for 

 many years, and will be the only run likely to be witnessed. 



But our theme is the wild fox, and to him we willingly 

 return, though before doing so we would fain guard ourselves 

 against a possible charge of injustice. 



We have said that all keepers hate foxes, and we believe it ; 

 but there are unquestionably hundreds of honest servants who 

 loyally obey their master's instructions to 'preserve foxes at 

 any cost.' 



It is difficult to say what a fox will not eat ; rabbits and 

 game probably form the highest, beetles, mice, and even frogs, 

 the lowest scale in his dietary. He is said to be partial to 

 water hens and water rats, and he is certainly fond of frequent- 

 ing withy beds, river banks, or low-lying grounds where the 

 amphibii do mostly congregate ; though he does not succeed 



