THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FOX 13 



sometimes find a dog fox alone, the vixen is seldom 

 or never seen by herself. At such times if there are 

 two foxes in covert the first that goes away is always 

 the dog, and he is possibly endeavouring to lead the 

 pack away from his mate. If left to themselves the fox 

 will feed his vixen, and if the vixen is killed he will 

 bring up the family by himself. The wants of a fox 

 family are large, but they have some ingenious labour- 

 saving devices. 



Some years ago my attention was drawn to a 

 story in the ' Field ' of a woodcock left outside an 

 earth in which was a vixen. The earth was stopped, 

 so that it must have been in the hunting season just 

 before or just after the cubs were born. No doubt a 

 dog fox had brought it for the vixen within. The 

 fact excited notice, for woodcocks are not common 

 in the neighbourhood. Under the woodcock's wing 

 were packed neatly two young rabbits. This curious 

 method of packing the food is common, for not very 

 long after this a vixen that laid up near my father's 

 house made a raid on our poultry, and as she 

 selected some rather choice game fowls there was 

 great lamentation. One morning early the vixen was 

 caught in the act of making off with a hen. A stable- 

 boy saw the robber and hurled a stick. The old 

 vixen dropped the hen. When we came to examine 



