THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FOX 23 



A retriever that used to kill chickens had two fox-like 

 habits : she always went some distance for her victims, 

 and buried them near her kennel. But she invariably 

 left their tails sticking up out of the earth, thus 

 leading to detection and punishment. 



The fox has the worst possible character as a robber 

 of hen-roosts, but this is rather a vice than a habit. 

 The creature is credited with many more depreda- 

 tions than he commits. All the destruction wrought 

 by stray dogs, by prowling cats, by rats, stoats, and 

 above all by human thieves, is put down to the fox. 

 The mischief worked by the fox is often compen- 

 sated for, that of the others is not, therefore the fox 

 has the blame of misdeeds not his own. A friend of 

 mine who lives near a famous fox-covert tells me she 

 has never lost a bird. The fowls are let out late and 

 shut up early in the winter. Thus as the fox comes 

 out late and returns early they never get in his 

 way. More than half the losses in poultry are occa- 

 sioned by carelessness, and insufficient fastenings 

 or rotten buildings. It may be noted that more 

 chickens are lost through bad management and un- 

 healthy dwellings than by any depredations of the fox. 

 Nevertheless no one can doubt that foxes do in one 

 way or another destroy much poultry in the course of 

 a year. It is all the more reason why they should 

 not have the credit of mischief they have not done. 



