THE' FOX 67 



and, taking his back-track, fooled the dogs com- 

 pletely. 



I was told of a silver-gray fox in northern 

 New York, which, when pursued by the hounds, 

 would run till it had hunted up another fox, 

 or the fresh trail of one, when it would so 

 manoeuvre that the hound would invariably be 

 switched off on the second track. 



In cold, dry weather the fox will sometimes 

 elude the hound, at least delay him much, by 

 taking to a bare, ploughed field. The hard, dry 

 earth seems not to retain a particle of the scent, 

 and the hound gives a loud, long, peculiar bark, 

 to signify he has trouble. It is now his turn to 

 show his wit, which he often does by passing 

 completely around the field, and resuming the 

 trail again where it crosses the fence or a strip 

 of snow. 



The fact that any dry, hard surface is unfa- 

 vorable to the hound suggests, in a measure, the 

 explanation of the wonderful faculty that all dogs 

 in a degree possess of tracking an animal by the 

 scent of the foot alone. Did you ever think 

 why a dog's nose is always wet ? Examine the 

 nose of a fox-hound, for instance; how very 

 moist and sensitive ! Cause this moisture to dry 

 up, and the dog would be as powerless to track 

 an animal as you are ! The nose of the cat, you 



