War-time Taxes
Every sort of player and of sportsman is discussing the dubious patriotism- of pursuing his amusement ; and one un- expected but very sensible suggestion has come from a West Country huntsman. He argues that very many parts of the country are " over-foxed," and for my part I could cap his account of the killing of three score of faxes in one of these too populous districts. In a letter to the Field he urges a campaign against foxes by landowners, on the ground, negatively, that hunting will be a rare occurrence, and, posi- tively, that foxes are apt to destroy rabbits, pheasants and poultry, all of which are useful forms of food in war-time. It must not, of course, be forgotten that the fox is rather fonder of rats than of rabbits, and that this interesting beast has been quite annihilated by rabbit-trappers in some dis- tricts ; -enough foxes must be left ; but they are too numerous, even for good hunting, in quite a large number of districts. The reduction of foxes is as strongly to be recommended as the reduction of hounds.
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