18 FEBRUARY 1949, Page 16

Silt,—Surely the whole question of fox-hunting can be reduced to

this: Has, or has not, the fox anything like the same nervous system as its apparent relatives, the various breeds of dog ? If it has, then, whatever the undeniable attractions and social advantages of fox-hunting, we ought all to feel towards it as we should feel towards dog-hunting, and to press for the extermination of the fox, which would probably not be much more difficult than that of the wolf (in our country long ago effected). It may be argued that the process of extermination would involve some suffering, but one or two generations of foxes would see it through whereas the present suffering (if there is suffering involved) is being renewed from generation to generation, with no end in sight.—Yours faithfully,