REYNARD UTILISED. 25 



skins, some with the tails tipped with white, others tipped 

 with black. These are used for ladies' muffs, and look 

 very handsome ; the tail being occasionally curled round 

 the muff. This sounds a delicate matter, and dangerously 

 near the deadly sin of vulpecide. But it is not so. In 

 these extensive woods, with their broad fringes of furze 

 and heath, the foxes now and then become inconveniently 

 numerous, and even cub -hunting will not kill them off 

 sufficiently, especially if a great ' head ' of game is kept up, 

 for it attracts every species of beast of prey. 



Besides the damage to game, the concentration of too 

 many foxes in one district is opposed to the interest of the 

 hunt — first, because the attendant destruction of neighbour- 

 ing poultry causes an unpleasant feeling ; next, because 

 when the meet takes place the plethora of foxes spoils the 

 sport. The day is wasted in ' chopping ' them at every 

 corner ; the pack breaks up into several sections, despite 

 whip, horn, and voice ; and a good run across country can- 

 not be obtained. So that once now and then a judicious 

 thinning-out is necessary ; and this is how the skins come 

 into the hands of the keeper's wife. The heads go to 

 ornament halls and staircases ; so do the pads and 

 occasionally the brush. The teeth make studs, set in 

 gold ; and no part of Reynard is thrown away, since the 

 dogs eagerly snap up his body. 



Once or twice she has made a moleskin waistcoat for 

 a gentleman. This is a very tedious operation. Each 



