HAUNTS OF THE FOX. 237 



If your huntsman, without inconvenience, can 

 begin drawing at the farthest cover down the 

 wind, and so draw from cover to cover up the 

 wind till you find, let him do it : it will have 

 many advantages attending it: he will draw 

 the same covers in half the time ; your people 

 cannot fail of being in their proper places ; you 

 will have less difficulty in getting your hounds 

 off; and as the fox will most probably run the 

 covers that have been already drawn, you are 

 certain not to change. 



Judicious huntsmen will observe where foxes 

 like best to lie. In chases and forests, where 

 you have a great tract of cover to draw, such 

 observation is necessary, or you will lose much 

 time in finding. Generally speaking, I think 

 they are fondest of such as lie high, and are dry 

 and thick at bottom ; such also as lie out of the 

 wind ; and such as are on the sunny side of 

 hills.* The same cover where you find one 

 fox, when it has remained quiet any time, will 

 probably produce another. 



It is to little purpose to draw hazel coppices 

 at the time when nuts are gathered ; furze 



* This must of course vary in different countries: a 

 huntsman who has been used to a country knows best 

 where to find his game. 



