56 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



and in their turn enjoy the pleasures of the chase in the 

 pursuit of rats, mice, moles, frogs, beetles, and such 

 like vermin. Perchance they may now and then hunt 

 a hare up to her form, but the rabbit is much easier 

 prey : the fox can follow this game to ground in many 

 instances, but it is not so easy to pounce upon a hare 

 when sitting. I have heard it related that foxes will 

 actually run hares down, following by scent like 

 hounds ; but I think they must be very much distressed 

 by hunger before they resort to such alternatives. At 

 the same time all such exercises are calculated to 

 increase their bodily powers and their knowledge of 

 country. 



Generally speaking, I do not fancy the foxes are so 

 wild as they were when I first became an observer of 

 their habits. So far they may be said to have degener- 

 ated, and that may be from the treatment they receive. 

 I can well recollect on approaching the large woods in 

 Shropshire, before a hound was put into covert a fox 

 would frequently break away from the opposite side, 

 and unless some quick-eyed whip or other person of 

 experience was there to give notice, the run would be 

 lost. Many persons entertain an opinion that they are 

 not so stout, and, perhaps, that may be the case like- 

 wise, but they are by far more numerous, and, there- 

 fore, what may be lost on one hand is more than com- 

 pensated for on the other. This decrease of stoutness 

 may be accounted for : changes in circumstances have 

 led to changes in the habits of these animals ; their 

 wants are more carefully provided for in the way of 

 food, and, therefore, not having to travel far in search 

 of it, they are not in such high condition. There is 

 another cause why they should be less shy, in conse- 

 quence of the increase of population; in many cases 

 their haunts are more frequently intruded upon by 

 man, and, seldom experiencing any molestation or 

 injury, except when chased by hounds, they gain con- 

 fidence. If we are to compare the long runs which we 

 have heard and occasionally read of in the days of 



