228 NATURAL HISTORY. 



they fly out upon their invader, and actually oblige 

 him to retire, yet this repulse is but for a few minutes 

 till he has rolled himself upon the ground, and thus 

 crushed such as may have stuck to his skin. He then 

 returns to the charge, and at length, by dint of per- 

 severance, obliges them to abandon their combs which 

 he greedily devours. 



The young foxes are produced blind, like dogs. 

 Like them too, they are eighteen months or two years 

 in reaching their full growth, and live about thirteen 

 or fourteen years. The senses of the fox are as good 

 as those of the wolf; his sentiment is more acute, and 

 the organ of his voice is more supple, and more per- 

 fect. The wolf is never heard but by dreadful howls, 

 while the fox only yelps, barks, and sends forth a 

 moanful sound, resembling the cry of the peacock. 

 His tones, too, are different, according to the different 

 sentiments with which he is affected. He has one 

 sound expressive of desire, a second of murmur, a 

 third of sorrow, and a fourth of pain. The latter is 

 never heard from him, unless in the instant that he is 

 wounded by a shot, and has lost the use of some mem- 

 ber ; for, like the wolf, when attacked with cudgels 

 alone, he never murmurs, but will defend himself with 

 obstinacy, and fight in silence to the last. He bites 

 dangerously, and with such determined fury, that in 

 order to make him relinquish his hold, ponderous wood 

 and even iron bars are necessary. 



The flesh of the fox is not so bad as the flesh of the 

 wolf. Dogs, and even men eat it in autumn, espe- 

 cially if the animal has fed on grapes; and in winter 

 good furs are made of his skin. He sleeps so sound, 

 that however closely approached, there is no great 

 danger of awaking him. When he only means to rest 



