HOW TO DISPEllSE FOXES 211 



You complain that foxes are in too great 

 plenty : believe me, it is a good fault. I should 

 as soon have expected to have heard your 



neighboiu- R complain of having too much 



money : however, it is not without a remedy ; 

 hunt the same covers constantly, and you will 

 soon disperse them. If your pack be strong 

 enough, divide it ; hunt every day, and you 

 will catch many tired foxes. I remember to 

 have killed a brace in one morning, in the 

 strongest season ; the first in ten minutes, the 

 second in half an hour. If your own pack be 

 not strong enough to hunt more than every 

 other day, get a pack of harriers to hunt hare 

 in the cover the intermediate day. Foxes thus 

 disturbed will shift their quarters ; they know 

 their enemies, and smell in the night where they 

 have been in the day, and will not stay where 

 they are likely to be disturbed by them. Fol- 

 low them for one week in this manner, and I do 

 not think you will have any reason afterwards 

 to complain that they are in too great plenty. 



When covers are much disturbed, foxes will 

 sometimes break as soon as they hear a hound. 

 Where the country round is very open, the fox 

 least likely to break is the one which you are 

 hunting : he will be very unwilling to quit the 



