io8 THE FOX 



days when scent varies from field to field, almost 

 from moment to moment. Such a scent as I have 

 written of above upsets all calculations whether of fox 

 or man. For whatever the vagaries of scent are it is 

 very rare for it to hold for twenty minutes. 



But a great many of the simple-minded foxes are 

 caught as cubs before they have their full strength 

 and endurance. Nowadays cub-hunting is almost a 

 part of the regular season. The fixtures are adver- 

 tised and many men and women come to them. 

 Hounds are more often indulged with a dash in 

 the open than they used to be, and the little brave 

 cub that breaks away is too often sacrificed when he 

 ought to be spared. 



Young hounds, no doubt, are improved by a scurry 

 into the open and the triumph of a fox rolled over, 

 but this is hardly legitimate unless all the other foxes 

 have gon?, and hounds, horses and men have earned 

 a little gallop if the fox is willing to humour them. 



A question arises at this point, How far have 

 the changes in our methods of hunting affected 

 foxes ? The fox has always been hunted. At first 

 by men and dogs as in the cat-and-fox fable referred 

 to above. This no doubt was a kind of bobbery 

 pack, which was, however, the germ of our foxhound 

 packs. We cannot doubt that to the fox we owe the 



