FOXES AND LAMBS. 309 



known as the covert or poultn' fund — for covert rents, repairs 

 and damages. In most subscription packs, a yearly balance- 

 sheet of this fund is furnished to each subscriber. 



Hunting men and farmers hold very different views respect- 

 ing the killing of lambs by foxes. As this diversity of opinion 

 often gives rise to friction between men who ought to be the 

 best of friends, I have tried, while living in the country, to 

 learn all I could about the subject. Mr. Scarth Di.xon tells us 

 that " a hungry fox will certainly take a weakly, new^-dropped 

 lamb, and I believe that in mountainous districts, such as 

 obtain in some parts of Cumberland, the small lambs of the 



Fig. 220. Garter straps. 



native breed are not safe until they are several days old. But 

 in the lowlands, or even in the hills where game is plentiful, 

 and where the sheep are of larger size, it is rare indeed that a 

 fox will attack a lamb. If those gentlemen who think that 

 the foxes are going off with their choice lambs would keep a 

 sharp look-out, they would find in the majority of instances 

 that the culprit was a dog, and in all probability one belonging 

 to themselves." 



Farmers who have had experience both in Wales and 

 in the Midlands, inform me that ordinary English ewes do 

 not protect their lambs from foxes by any means as well as 

 Welsh ewes, and lambs are therefore more liable to be carried 

 off in the Midlands than in Wales. The higher protective 



