FOX-HUNTING — THE FOX. 53 



Now let me turn to the natural history part of the subject, and 

 first say that there are supposed to be three distinct kinds in our 

 island — the greyhound fox, the bull-dog fox, and the cur fox. As 

 the former is generally found in those mountainous parts where 

 foxes are not xireserved, I look on him as the indigenous species, 

 as he is beyond all controversy the best. That si'tuation and 

 climate have a great deal to do in developing this difference in 

 foxes, I feel assured ; but they have been only too well seconded 

 by over-anxious sportsmen, who have imported cubs from 

 abroad, and in too many instances given us a lot of short-run- 

 ning, ringing brutes, with neither heart nor powers to go straight 

 over a country. 



The preservation of game is also a great drawback to finding 

 good foxes ; for although they may not be, and I know are not, 

 killed on many estates where game is strictly preserved, from the 

 abundance of food which they find around them, there is no 

 inducement to travel, and consequently, when hunting comes 

 on, they know nothing of the country, but run round and round 

 until they are killed j while, from their fat state and want of 

 condition, they could go but a very little distance before a good 

 pack of hounds, even if they tried. Still worse is it when they 

 are regularly fed by the keepers near the earths, to prevent their 

 doing mischief ; and where this system is pursued, altnough the 

 owner of the estate may have a good show of foxes, as far as num- 

 bers are concerned, he might nearly as well keep so many prize 

 rabbits, and they would show about as much sport. This, how- 

 ever, bad as it is, is not the worst of the case, for in too many 

 instances a litter or two of cubs are bred, and, as soon as they are 

 old enough to live without the vixen, she is made away with, 

 her spouse having probably gone the way of all flesh long before. 

 The orphans are tenderly nursed close to the earth with what- 

 ever vermin or ofFal the keeper can get ; he earns his fee, and, 

 when hounds come, it is simply a slaughter of the innocents. 

 What is wanted for sport is old and wild foxes ! We do not 

 expect a hound to be at his best during the first season ; how. 



