From Fox's Earth 



Lying down on her back, she pats with her paws, 

 and watches the cubs as they roll over and over, 

 like so many puppy -dogs. Nothing is more 

 delightful than to see a family of foxes at their 

 evening play. It is then that the gamekeeper 

 comes about, and from a distance that he may 

 not disturb the revel counts up his treasures and 

 sees that there are five. Likely enough the 

 vixen knows he is there, and that he will do no 

 harm. 



This is a hunting as well as a shooting county. 

 The gamekeeper has a complex duty unknown 

 on the moors and to the highland gillie. He 

 must look after his game, and he must look after 

 his vermin ; he must know where his partridges 

 are nesting, and where his foxes are cubbing ; 

 he must make enclosures for his pheasants and 

 coverts for enemies ; he must raise his game in 

 captivity and in due season turn them out : so, if 

 need be, must he do with his foxes. If the 

 stubble and turnips must yield a normal number 

 of coveys, the coverts must also yield. Indeed, 

 hunting is the more popular form of sport. 



Here, then, is an interesting state of things. 

 Vermin are preserved. Wild life is not only left 

 to keep its own balance, but man comes to its 

 assistance. Whereas, under natural conditions, 

 the number of foxes would probably be less than 

 it is, man maintains it at the highest level the 

 countryside will stand. 



6 



