12 THE FOX 



that the foxes which have no scent are more social 

 in their habits than those which leave a trail behind 

 them. 



Our English fox lives alone the greater part of its 

 life. For a short time in the breeding season foxes 

 pair, and just before and after the cubs are born the 

 old fox feeds or helps to feed the vixen and her young. 

 In the breeding season the dog foxes fight fiercely, 

 and I have very little doubt that a good many of the 

 weaker ones are killed by the old dog foxes in these 

 contests. How fierce these fights are the following 

 instances will show. On one occasion two foxes 

 were fighting so savagely that a man and a dog were 

 able, unnoticed, to approach quite close to them. 

 The man watched them for some time before they 

 parted and crawled away wounded and blood-stained. 

 On another occasion a man saw two foxes fighting 

 and intervened to save the life of the smaller fox. 

 He had to hit them several times with a stick before 

 they would separate. This throws light on the 

 boldness of the fox at certain seasons, and helps to 

 show that foxes pair after having fought and won the 

 lady of their desire. It is at such times that foxes 

 lose some of their cunning and caution and often fall 

 victims *to their enemies. That foxes pair is also 

 shown by the fact that while in the spring hounds 



