THE MIND OF THE FOX 47 



merit of caution, cunning, and wisdom that serves 

 him well. Yet the individual has to use his own 

 mind and add to his experience for his own benefit. 



Next to acquiring this experience an important 

 characteristic of the fox is his adaptability of body and 

 mind. A fox can, under those circumstances which 

 come within his circle of ideas, adapt his action to the 

 needs and opportunities of the case with extraordinary 

 quickness. The rapidity and precision with which the 

 body and mind of an animal work together are most 

 noteworthy, and are nowhere more easily observed 

 than in two familiar animals, the fox and the cat. 



In the fox the intelligence which is necessary for 

 the survival of the race is very marked, and I think 

 we may assume that if he had not possessed something 

 of the wisdom and cunning with which poets and 

 fabulists have endowed him, he would not have been 

 the successful animal he is in the struggle for existence. 

 We have seen that he is one of the oldest, the most 

 widely distributed and successful, of the carnivora. 

 He is also a small animal, and relatively not very 

 strong : a resolute terrier is more than a match for a 

 dog fox. On the other hand, the wits of an old fox 

 are often more than a match for a clever huntsman 

 and a pack of the best foxhounds in the world, for 

 the late Duke of Rutland gave it as his opinion and 



