bottom of the hole and
brought out a little grey furred creature, kicking and screaming with
wonderful vigour in spite of its tender years. The nest was allowed to
remain, and in a few days the mother removed her brood to a hole at the
root of a bushy stone-pine, where the little ones frisked in and out and
looked so pretty that I was won over to allow them to stay, and, by
netting round the tree, we formed a miniature warren for the young
family; but I fear that in course of time we may bitterly repent this
step, and the numbers may increase to such an extent that pinks and
lobelia may become things of the past and the rabbit warren may have to
be abolished.

A fox is sometimes seen and hunted in these parts. One surprised me by
leaping upon the window-sill and looking into the drawing-room. At first
I could not think what it was. It had been dug out of its hole; its fur
was muddy and torn, its eyes piteous in their expression, and when it
ran slowly on I saw it was very lame. I ran to the window to let it in,
but though it leaped up to each window in succession, they all happened
to be shut, and I was quite grieved to think the poor, weary creature
could find no shelter. I am no admirer of field-sports. I think they
give rise to the utmost cruelty to the creatures hunted and shot, to the
horses and dogs employed; and to witness torture inflicted on
unoffending animals cannot but have a debasing effect on the human mind.
When once any one has seen the anguish of a deer, a fox, or hare, at the
end of the race, there can be no question about the cruelty of the
proceeding, and to one who loves every created thing as I do, it gives
the keenest pain to know how much suffering of this kind goes on during
the hunting season.[3]

[Footnote 3: I cannot resist quoting and strongly endorsing the
following lament by Mr. H. Stacy Marks, R.A., as to the way in which
birds are too frequently treated by the public at large: "Many people
regarding birds in but three aspects--as things to be either eaten,
shot, or worn.... No natural history of a bird is complete without
recording where the last specimen was shot; and should a rare bird visit
our shores, the hospitality which we accord to the foreign refugee is
denied, and it is bound to be the victim of powder and shot. The fashion
of wearing birds or their plumage as part of ladies' attire, threatens
to exterminate many beautiful species, such as the humming-birds of
South America,