THE FOX 73 



nature of a fox to hunt for his food, and if he 

 gets into the habit of seizing the first thing that 

 comes to hand, you may be certain, if he has 

 not already got the mange, that it will not be 

 long before it appears. Rats, mice, and beetles 

 form the chief diet, and a healthy fox will travel 

 miles in a night searching for these dainties. I 

 believe he enjoys the pleasure of hunting for 

 his food quite as much as we do hunting him. 

 The next time a fall of snow stops hounds from 

 going out, put on a pair of shooting-boots, and 

 make your way to the nearest earth or covert. 

 Find the track of a fox going away, and follow 

 him in his wanderings of the previous night. 

 You will learn some interesting details of the 

 animal's ways, and if you can succeed in bringing 

 the tracks back again to the covert, you will, I 

 am sure, thank me for having brought the idea 

 to your notice. 



I am very much averse to feeding foxes, and 

 believe that it gets them into bad habits. There 

 is no harm in helping a vixen when she has a 

 large litter, with fowl heads, rabbits, or young 

 rooks, but never indulge her with meat. When 

 the cubs are big enough to look after themselves, 



