TREATMENT OF CUBS. 305 



He had not a single hair on his brush, and very 

 few on his body. 



I have icept foxes too long : I also have turned 

 them out too young. The safest way, I believe, 

 will be to avoid either extreme. When cubs 

 are bred in an earth near you, if you add two 

 or three to the number, it is not improbable 

 that the old fox will take care of them. Of 

 this you may be certain, that if they live they 

 will be good foxes ; for the others will show 

 them the country. Those which you turn 

 into an earth should be regularly fed. If 

 they are attce neglected, it is probable they 

 will forsake the place, wander away, and die 

 for want of food. When the cubs leave the 

 earth, (which they may soon do,) your game- 

 keeper should throw food for them in parts 

 of the cover where it may be most easy for 

 them to find it ; and when he knows their 

 haunt, he should continue to feed them there. 

 Nothing destroys so much the breed of foxes 

 as buying them to turn out, unless care is taken 

 of them afterwards. 



Your- country being extensive, probably it 

 may not be all equally good : it may be worth 

 your while, therefore, to remove some of the 

 cubs from one part of it into the other : it is 



