tnOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 30! 



turn them into large covei-s and firong earths ; 

 out of fmall earths they are more hable to bd 

 llolen, and from fmall covers are more hkely to 

 llray. Your game-keeper, at this feafon of the 

 year, having httle to do, may feed and take care 

 of them. When you flop any of thefe earths^ 

 remember to have Ihem opened again ; as^ I have 

 realbn to think, I loft fome young foxes one year 

 by not doing it. For your own fatisfadion, put 

 a private mark on every fox which you turn out, 

 that you may know him agiiin. Yoiir cubs, 

 though they may get off from the covers where 

 they were bred, when hunted, will feldom fail 

 to return to them. 



Gentlemen who buy foxes. do great injury to fox- 

 hunting : they encourage the robbing of neigh- 

 bouring hunts ; in which cafe, without doubt, the 

 receiver is as bad as the thief. — It is the interefl of 

 every fox-hunter to be cautious how he behaves 

 in this particular : indeed, I believe mofl gentle- 

 men are ; and it may be eafy to retaliate on fuch 



as are not. —I am told, that in fome hunts it is 



the conftant employment of one perfon to watch 

 the earths at the breeding time, to prevent the 

 cubs from being llolen. Furze- covers cannot 

 be too much encouraged for tluit reafoii, for there 

 they are fafe. They have alfo other advantages 

 attending them ; — they are certain places to find 

 in ; — Foxes cannot break from them unfeen ; — 

 3 nor 



