36 FOXHUNTING ON LAKELAND FELLS 



gained still greater confidence in his powers and 

 knowledge of his beat. 



That certain foxes manage to live to a great age 

 there is ample evidence in the shape of old and 

 almost toothless customers brought to hand. 

 It is a matter for surprise that nearly aU these 

 old things are fat and in good condition. Probably 

 as age weakens their powers they make up for 

 it in cunning, and so manage to still secure an 

 adequate food supply. Like human beings, very 

 old foxes show a good deal of grey about the head, 

 giving them a grizzled, worn appearance. 



Although the hill fox does most of his wandering 

 abroad at night, he may occasionally be seen in 

 dayhght. Not long since a fox walked almost the 

 entire length of the Troutbeck valley, near Winder- 

 mere, despite the fact that he was loudly halloed 

 at by several people en route. One may travel the 

 fells for years without setting eyes on a fox except 

 when hounds are out, despite the ample stock of 

 foxes which now inhabit the mountains. 



During the last ten years I have not seen more 

 than half a dozen foxes when I have been wandering 

 about the hills, though, curiously enough, I saw 

 one on three successive evenings not long ago, in 

 aU probabihty the same fox on each occasion. 

 This fox was coming down off the hill en route 

 to the low ground, at about the same time each 

 evening. Of course, if you are shooting on the 



