18 



THE GAME BREEDER 



Foxes and Partridges. 



F. E. R. Fryer (In Shooting). 



The harm done by foxes to partridges 

 occurs mostly in the nesting season, and 

 in a great measure is done by some old 

 vixen in search of food for her cubs. 

 When once they take to hunting for this 

 class of food (the partridge on its nest) 

 it is bad indeed for the partridge. The 

 hunting man will tell you that as long 

 as there are rabbits and rats about foxes 

 will never take partridges, but by one 

 who has visited the earths where there 

 are cubs, and has seen the proportion 

 of wings and feathers to fur and ani- 

 mals legs lying about, such an opinion 

 cannot be entertained. Again, in many 

 cases rabbits are killed down in these 

 days, and the case becomes still harder 

 on the partridge. The worst time for 

 them is when the cubs are able to feed 

 themselves, and it stands to reason that 

 a vixen who has to find food for her 

 family does so in the easiest way pos- 

 sible: and what more simple than to go 

 up the windward side of a fence and 

 catch each whiff of a gamey nature and 

 stop and locate the unfortunate bird on 

 its nest? Then comes a pounce, which 

 very seldom misses its mark, and bang 

 goes a covey of partridges. I have 

 known of a bird escaping with the loss 

 of many feathers, but still coming back 

 and hatching ofif; but this is only an 

 isolated case. 



How to prevent the 'destruction of 

 birds and eggs by foxes is a most diffi- 



cult problem, Mr. Fryer says : 'T do 

 not think any one will ever solve it." 



He advises that there must be a keeper 

 whose duty is only to look after par- 

 tridges and nothing else. 



There are only two ways in which he 

 can help save the nests. One is to pre- 

 vent the fox getting at the nest when he 

 has winded it and the other is to pre- 

 vent his winding it. 



Wire netting placed about the nests, 

 will protect them and a fox can be pre- 

 vented from winding a bird on its nest: 

 by putting on the wind a stronger scent: 

 than the bird produces. Various "smell- 

 ing mixtures" are used. "Animal Oil,"" 

 Mr. Fryer says, "is the most efficacious, 

 but one must be careful to get it as 

 strong as it can possibly be made. 



A preparation named "Renardine" is- 

 largely advertised and sold. There are 

 many testimonials from preserve own- 

 ers and gamekeepers as to its eilfective- 

 ness. One of the advertisements repre- 

 sents a mule backing off a bridge where 

 a little "Renardine" had been «pilled. 



BETTERMENT. 



With the present number The Game 

 Breeder begins a new year. Our read- 

 ers will be pleased to notice the new 

 cover from a clever design by the tal- 

 ented artist, Mr. C. B. Davis, who will 

 contribute much to make the magazine 

 interesting and attractive during the 

 coming year. 



