94 DEER SHOOTING AND OTHER MATTERS. 



well deer can swim. No dog can come near this sharp- 

 footed thin-legged animal in the water. This they evi- 

 dently are aware of, and hence the cause of their taking 

 to an element apparently so very unsuitable to them. 



"Wild boar don't pay much attention to these dogs ; 

 they run at first, but an animal of any size soon 

 turns and faces his persecutors. Many a time I have 

 seen the dogs beaten off, and not unfrequently badly 

 hurt. Badgers are very numerous, and are not the 

 nocturnal creature they are in Scotland. It was a very 

 common occurrence to meet them walking about the 

 edges of the paddy-fields any time during the day, and 

 on observing my dogs or self they only shuffled off 

 into the cover, remaining close to, and were easily 

 turned out and shot. In the winter their skin makes 

 a nice mat, but during the summer their fur gets very 

 thin, and their skin is then not worth a charge of 

 powder. Of all the most impudent animals, I think 

 none comes up to the Japanese fox. I believe it to be 

 identical with our own ; in size, colour, and habits, it 

 certainly very closely resembles the British species. 

 They are very common, and perfectly bold and fear- 

 less. In fact, to kill a fox is considered very unlucky. 

 It offends the spirit of the animal, which spirit is 

 capable of visiting the family of the life-taker with all 



