18 THE FOX 



The fox cub is bom into the world at the season 

 when food is plentiful, and especially rabbits, rats and 

 birds are young and tender. It is then, as we shall 

 see, that the old vixen is most dangerous to young 

 broods. 



Nothing comes amiss to foxes, young and old, 

 and their bill of fare is very varied, including insects, 

 particularly beetles, some fruits and berries. But 

 nevertheless vixens are often hard put to it to 

 find food. Probably insufficient nourishment of 

 the vixen before and after her cubs are born is 

 one of the contributory causes of mange. At such 

 times, no doubt, the vixen is more likely to rob 

 a hen-roost or raid a partridge's or pheasant's nest, 

 than at others ; for I believe that under ordinary con- 

 ditions the vixen does not plunder the farmyard or 

 the coverts in her immediate neighbourhood when, as 

 is sometimes the case, she lays up her cubs near the 

 dwellings of man. 



I find, as the result of many inquiries, a very 

 general opinion prevails that the vixen does not as 

 a rule seek her prey immediately round her earth. 

 Not indeed because the fox would have any objec- 

 tion to violate the laws of hospitality or the rules of 

 neighbourly conduct, but that she has a great desire 

 to conceal her cubs while they are still helpless. She 



