78 CARNIVORA. 



out of his subterranean refuge — an unsportsmanlike and 

 barbarous proceeding. 



If killed in the open, his brush is given to one of the 

 first in ; at the death, his feet and head are cut off, and 

 the rest of his body is eaten by the hounds. The skin 

 is not saved, and many thousand pelts are lost every 

 year in this way. 



Foxes are often trapped and caught in some counties, 

 and turned down in others. 



There existed in Germany, some 200 years ago, a 

 favourite sport called Fox-tossing. 



The English Fox is a rather short, thick-set animal, 

 of a reddish-brown colour, with short black ears, 

 and tail with a white tip ; it is sometimes of a quite 

 light colour, resembling that of the Prairie Eed Fox of 

 North America ; sometimes, though more rarely, it has a 

 black belly and deeper markings at the shoulder, thus 

 resembling the Bastard or Cross Eed Fox of the North 

 American Continent ; it is more enduring in speed, and 

 stronger than its American In-other, although jjerhaps 

 not so fast for the first few miles. 



The Common Fox is a nocturnal animal, and loves to 

 ramble in the moonlight ; it commits many ravages in 

 the poultry yard, slaying fowls, ducks, and other poultry 

 with impunity ; even turkeys have been known to fall a 

 prey to their rapacity. 



Its favourite and principal food is rabbits ; it will also 

 devour sickly lambs, rats, birds ; in fact, any small 

 animal or bird is appreciated. 



The Fox has been known to give tongue when hunting. 



The scent of the Fox is pungent and peculiar, and, when 

 the weather is mild and muggy, this hangs about a 

 locality for some time. 



The vixen or female Fox produces about seven or eight 



