[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—Will you kindly give
one who has a lifelong and intimate acquaintance with fox-hunting space in which to reply t Sir Frederick des Voeux and Miss Yorke ? Had the fox in question been " left in peaceful possession of his well-earned shelter " (I think most people would have preferred this) it is more than likely that he would have been smoked out of it and summarily despatched by the owner of the chimney after the hounds had been taken away. The majority of country folk have, I fear, no idea of giving the fox, once he has been hunted and left by the hounds, " a sporting chance," and it is well known that when a fox goes to ground after a run, and is left in peace by the hunt, lie is sometime:: dug out and killed by other people, though elaborate pre- cautions are sometimes taken by the Hunt authorities to ensure that this shall not happen. But I can assure Miss Yorke that authorized digging, once the regular season has begun, is the exception, and not " usual." The field dislike it, and their wishes have to be consulted. In the country where I live it has only been done once since November lst.- -
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