Ii8 THE FOX 



pursuit, were to suffer greatly from fear its life would 

 be a miserable one ; whereas the fox probably enjoys its 

 existence as much as any inhabitant of the woodlands. 

 The effect on him of hunting in this way has been to 

 stimulate the cunning and resource of the race we 

 might almost say the reasoning power for we recollect 

 three remarkable cases of devices which are the more 

 valuable as being attested by sportsmen and observers 

 of no ordinary trustworthiness. 



The first story is told by Mr. Charles McNeill, 

 now Master of the North Cotswold, a forward rider 

 who was likely to have many chances of seeing what 

 the fox was about. In this case a weary fox dragging 

 himself over a grass-field sprang on to a manure-heap 

 and rolled himself over in it. Thus, Mr. McNeill 

 thinks, he endeavoured to obliterate his own by a 

 stronger scent. It is well known to huntsmen that 

 manures and fertilisers are bad for scent. Is it not 

 possible that this is known to the fox also ? 



The next instance is still more remarkable, and 

 was related in the ' Field ' by Mr. H. S. Davenport, 

 who is not only a sportsman of experience but a 

 careful and accurate observer of wild life. Mr. 

 Fernie's hounds were driving a fox hard near to the 

 Lovers' Walk in the Cottesmore country. In a field 

 close at hand was a plough-team at work, three horses 



