1 6 THE FOX 



has cubs. The fox and the badger probably lay 

 up their litters about the same time. But two 

 things are clear, and these are that the foxes and 

 badgers do sometimes live in the same earths, and 

 even lay up their cubs in them, though always in 

 different chambers. You may, for example, open an 

 earth and to the left of the entrance find badgers, and 

 to the right foxes. I think, however, that in most 

 of these cases the fox has laid up her cubs elsewhere 

 and has removed them, finding the badger's earth 

 a convenient place, and possibly the badger, which 

 is an excellent fighter under covert, something of 

 a protection against invading terriers. From the 

 Exmoor, West Somerset, Fitzwilliam, Belvoir and 

 Blackmore Vale hunts, I have collected instances of 

 foxes and badgers living in the same burrow ; but that 

 all is not peace is clear from the instances of vixens 

 and cubs killed by badgers given by the late Tom Firr, 

 huntsman of the Quorn, and by Mr. Pease. On the 

 other hand the badgers not seldom desert the earth 

 when occupied by foxes, perhaps disgusted by the 

 dirty habits of the latter. But another point is clear : 

 that the occupation by the fox must be by the per- 

 mission of the badger, which has might as well as 

 right on his side. It is probable, therefore, that such 

 commensalism must bring some advantage to the 



