THE EDUCATION OF THE FOX 33 



for food, his nose conveys to him a complete 

 picture of his surroundings. Nature, as far as she 

 interests him at all, has no secrets from him. He 

 knows at once where the brood is by the scent of 

 the egg-shells left by the chicks. He detects the 

 young rabbits in their nest and digs down on them ; 

 the way of the marauding rat in the hedgerow is 

 plain to him. A whiff of a man or a dog is enough 

 to make him alter his course. Every opportunity, 

 every danger is clear to him, and he can seize the one 

 and avoid the other. Animals have one advantage 

 over men, that they have seldom a doubt as to the 

 course to be pursued. 



A fox is no doubt affected by the conditions of 

 the atmosphere which make scent better or worse 

 on particular days for the hounds. It is perhaps his 

 own experience of the night before, which gives 

 him the knowledge he seems to possess, of the 

 strength or weakness of the scent he leaves behind 

 him. It is an almost universal opinion among 

 huntsmen that a fox regulates his pace and methods 

 by the strength or weakness of the scent he leaves. 

 This is probably correct in many cases, and so, too, 

 is the opinion of ' Nimrod,' that a fox is affected by 

 the cry of the hounds, and as that waxes or wanes so 

 he goes faster or slower. A fox accommodates his 



D 



