THE FLESH-EATING PREDATORY MAMMALS 125 



and unscrupulous cleverness, just as the wolf represents stupid 

 ferocity. In some districts, however, where it has been long 

 unmolested, its attacks on live stock in the vicinity of human 

 habitations almost assume the boldness of a wolf. When the 

 present writer was in Achill Island, in the autumn of 1902, the 

 natives of that west-of-Ireland paradise complained to him of 

 the boldness and audacity of the local foxes, which during the 

 winter-time would descend the hillsides into the villages along 

 the seashore, and take geese and fowls and young pigs from 

 under the noses of their enraged proprietors. The same foxes 

 are accused by the people in the summer-time of attacking young 

 foals on the uplands, and killing many lambs. 



It is almost a commonplace to point out that the fox is 

 subterranean in his dwelling ordinarily. He either excavates 

 burrows for himself, or appropriates those which have been made 

 by the badger or the rabbit. At the bottom of these " earths " 

 the fox remains concealed during the daytime, unless love or 

 hunger should drive him abroad before dusk. But in the 

 summer-time he frequently leaves the burrow in well-wooded 

 districts and lies in the thick vegetation and undergrowth, making 

 a sort of lair for himself. In favourable seasons, when there are 

 young hares or young birds about, the fox frequents cornfields 

 and hedgebanks, or it may even take up a dwelling in ricks or 

 straw yards close to the farm building from which it intends to 

 rob poultry. 



The food of this predatory animal is most varied and compre- 

 hensive. It kills and eats hares, rabbits, pheasants, partridges, 

 lambs (in the west of Ireland it is said to kill and eat the foals of 

 mountain ponies), hedgehogs, rats, mice, voles, any bird which it 

 can surprise and capture, frogs, the larger beetles, grubs, and 

 worms. It will also, especially in Scotland, frequent the sea- 

 shore and eat fish (fresh or putrid), shellfish, and crabs. It is 

 ready to devour carrion of any kind when hungry, and, of course, 

 deHghts in robbing hen roosts and carrying away ducks and 

 geese. It will attack, kill, and devour swans ; in fact, the present 

 writer knows of a pretty mere in the New Forest from which all 



