THE FELL FOX 43 



through the bars above. They would repeat the 

 exercise again and again, appearing to thoroughly 

 enjoy it. 



Even in the low country it is no uncommon 

 occurrence to find foxes lying up in pollard willows 

 or other situations well above ground level. On 

 the fells, foxes cHmb Hke cats, and can make their 

 way anywhere amongst the crags. Foxes have 

 been known to climb trees when hard pressed by 

 hounds, but the little grey fox of America often 

 does so in pursuit of birds and fruit, it being as 

 much a fruit-eater as a consumer of flesh. 



The grey fox is not a sporting beast ; it prefers 

 doubling and twisting to running straight, and 

 soon goes to ground. It is more useful, however, 

 than the Indian fox, which leaves no scent at all, 

 and only provides sport when coursed. 



Although foxes move about to a certain extent 

 by day, most of their peregrinations are made 

 during the hours of darkness. There is no doubt 

 that a fox can see well in the dark, for his eyes are 

 more like a cat's than a dog's. Taxidermists usually 

 put dark eyes with round pupils in their mounted 

 fox masks, whereas the real eye is amber-coloured, 

 with veins, and a pupil which contracts to a narrow 

 oval or ellipse. A mask so mounted has a much 

 more foxy expression. I only know one firm of 

 taxidermists who do really good work on fox 

 masks, and that is Peter Spicer and Sons, of 



