324 



ANIMALS OF 



the whole pack coming to the mouth, redou- 

 ble their vehemence and rage, and the little 

 terrier boldly ventures in. It often happens 

 that the kennel is made under a rock, or 

 among the roots of old trees : and in such ca- 

 ses the fox cannot be dug out, nor is the ter- 

 rier able to contend with him at the bottom 

 of his hole. By this contrivance he continues 

 secure; but when he can be dug out, the usu- 

 al way is to carry him in a bag to some open 

 country, and there set him loose before the 

 hounds. The hounds and the men follow, 

 barking and shouting wherever he runs ; and 

 the body being strongly employed, the mind 

 has not time to make any reflection on the fu- 

 tility of the pursuit. What adds to this enter- 

 tainment is the strong scent wh'ich the fox 

 leaves, that always keeps up a full cry ; al- 

 though as his scent is stronger than that of 

 the hare, it is much sooner evaporated. His 

 shifts to escape when all retreat is cut off to 

 his kennel, are various and surprising. He 

 always chooses the most woody country, and 

 takes those paths that are most embarrassed 

 with thorns and briars. He does not double, 

 nor use the unavailing shifts of the hare ; but 

 flies in a direct line before the hounds, though 

 at no very great distance; manages his 

 strength; takes to the low and plashy grounds, 

 where the scent will be less apt to lie ; and 

 at last, when overtaken, he defends himself 

 with desperate obstinacy, and tights in silence 

 to the very last gasp. 



The fox, though resembling the dog in many 

 respects, is nevertheless very distinct in his 

 nature, refusing to engender with it; and 

 though not testifying the antipathy of the wolf, 

 yet discovering nothing more than indiffer- 

 ence. This animal also brings forth fewer 

 at a time than the dog, and that but once a 

 year. Its litter is generally from four to six, 

 and seldom less than three. The female goes 

 with young about six weeks, and seldom stirs 

 out while pregnant, but makes a bed for her 

 young, arid takes every precaution to prepare 

 for their production. When she finds the 

 place of their retreat discovered, and that her 

 young have been disturbed during her ab- 

 sence, she removes them one after the other 

 in her mouth, and endeavours to find them 

 out a place of better security. A remarka- 

 ble instance of this animal's parental affection 



happened while I was writing this history in 

 the county of Essex. A she-fox that had, as 

 it should seem, but one cub, was unkennelled 

 by a gentleman's hounds near Chelmsfbrd, and 

 hotly pursued. In such a case, when her own 

 life was in imminent peril, one would think 

 it was not a time to consult the safety of her 

 young; however, the poor animal, braving 

 every danger, rather than leave her cub be- 

 hind to be worried by the dogs, took it up in 

 her mouth, and ran with it in this manner for 

 some miles. At last, taking her way through 

 a farmer's yard, she was assaulted by a mas- 

 tiff, and at last obliged to drop her cub, which 

 was taken up by the fanner. I was not dis- 

 pleased to hear that this faithful creature es- 

 caped the pursuit, and at last got off in safe- 

 ty. The cubs of the fox are born blind, like 

 those of the dog; they are eighteen months or 

 two years in coming to perfection, and live 

 about twelve or fourteen years. 



As the fox makes war upon all animals, so 

 all others seem to make war upon him. The 

 dog hunts him with peculiar acrimony ; the 

 wolf is still a greater and more necessitous 

 enemy, who pursues him to his very retreat. 

 Some pretend to say, that, to keep the wolf 

 away, the fox lays at the mouth of its kennel 

 a certain herb, to which the wolf has a par- 

 ticular aversion. This, which no doubt is a 

 fable, at least shows that tliese two animals 

 are as much enemies to each other as to all 

 the rest of Animated Nature. But the fox is 

 not hunted by quadrupedsalone; for the birds, 

 who know him for their mortal enemy, attend 

 him in his excursions, and give each other 

 warning of their approaching danger. The 

 daw, the magpie, and the blackbird conduct 

 him along, perching on the hedges as he creeps 

 below, and, with their cries and notes of hos- 

 tility, apprize all other animals to beware ; 

 a caution which they perfectly understand, 

 and put into practice. The hunters themselves 

 are often informed by the birds of the place 

 of his retreat, and set the dogs into those thick- 

 ets where they see them particularly noisy and 

 querulous. So that it is the fate of this pret- 

 ty plunderer to be detested by every rank ot 

 animals ; all the weaker classes shun, and all 

 the stronger pursue him. 



The fox, of all wild animals, is most subject 

 to the influence of climate; and there are found 



