EVERLASTING QUESTION 111 



verified may serve to show that such 

 complaints are not always unreasonable. 

 If you turn the pages of the Encyclopedia 

 of Sport 9 you will find an article on the 

 fox by the famous Mr. T. Firr. And 

 this is all he has to say on the question 

 of food-supply : 



A Rover by night, the fox turns out soon after 

 the setting of the sun, and embarks upon his 

 usual rounds in search of food, rabbits, rats, mice, 

 beetles, etc. ; of rats and mice he is particularly 

 fond, whilst the number of beetles he gets is 

 astonishing. 



And that is all ; not a single word of 

 pheasants, partridges, leverets, grouse, and 

 lambs unless they be included after beetles 

 in a singularly comprehensive ' etc.' 



Such suppression of matters of common 

 knowledge probably deemed a judicious 

 expedient, is really a most short-sighted 

 policy, and the keeper who had just lost 

 a score of nests would feel anything but 

 charitably disposed towards the hunting 

 friend who talked to him about 'the as- 

 tonishing number of beetles that foxes eat/ 



