72 HARITS OF THE FOX. 



disposition towards strangers was much altered; he seemed now so dibtrustful 

 and suspicious of any one with whom he was not acquainted, that his eye 

 was never for a moment removed from them, so long as they were in sight; 

 he watched them with the most intense attention, and on their approach 

 ran into his hole, from which it required great force to drag him. On the 

 other hand, if any of ourselves went towards him, he would bound to meet 

 us at the stretch of his chain, so as almost to strangle himself, uttering at 

 the same time a peculiar hoarse scream indicative of satisftiction, which was 

 the only vocal sound I ever heard him use. I have even seen him leave 

 his meal to welcome my youngest sister, who was an especial favourite; and 

 what was most singular in an animal naturally so wild, he would allow me 

 to open his mouth, place my fingers in it, even extending to the throat, as 

 often as I pleased, without once attempting to bite. I could also at any 

 time take him up in my arms — liberties I should not like to take even 

 with the quietest Dog. 



A remarkable trait in his character was his fondness for the society of 

 Dogs; he would pull at the chain till half-exhausted to get at them, no 

 matter whether strange ones or not, and on their approach, he began fanning 

 his tail, whining, laying back his ears, smelling at their mouths, and betraying 

 other signs of a desire to play Avith them. I have seen him for hours gambol 

 with a Terrier bitch I had, as also with many strange Dogs; and, what 

 was equally singular, I never saw any Dog manifest the least dislike or 

 ill-nature towards him. The woodman had at that time a strong Terrier 

 celebrated for killing vermin^ and I have seen this Dog go forward, smell at 

 hi^i, and then turn quietly away. 



I will here notice a point of dissimilarity in manner between this Fox and 

 Dogs in general, wbich, though trivial in itself, serves to indicate a difference 

 of disposition; it will be remarked that when two Dogs meet, (strangers to 

 each other,) it is their invariable habit to smell at each other's anus, while 

 the Fox always snuffed at the mouth. I kept this Fox between two and 

 three years, when, having slipped his collar, which he sometimes did, and 

 taken to a neighbouring Avood, he was fallen in with by a pack of Harriers, 

 and killed, much to my regret. 



Many strange anecdotes are told of the Fox feigning death in order to 

 escape from his persecutors, but the following authentic instance which happened 

 at Wooperton, is as strange as any: — It happened a few years ago, that the 

 gamekeeper caught one in a trap, which was taken home to be worried by 

 Terriers; this having been done, the Fox, to all appearance dead, was taken 

 to the farm-house to let a lady see it, who had expressed a wish to examine 

 it. Reynard, who had either been duping his persecutors all the while, or 

 revived again from his contest with the Terriers, no sooner found himself 

 quietly laid out for inspection in the back yard, than he immediately bounded 

 to his feet and made off, to the no small consternation of the spectators. 



Beanley, HForthumherland, January \lth., 1854. 



