136 THE FOX 



probable that in a wild state few foxes live so long, 

 but if they survive the perils of their earlier years, and 

 if I am right in supposing that many of the older 

 foxes manage to escape being hunted, it is possible 

 that they live to this age. 



As a rule, old foxes are able to keep themselves fat 

 and sleek, and I have seen some killed that had not a 

 tooth left, and yet were apparently in good case. What- 

 ever the fox's physical infirmities, he makes his intel- 

 ligence supply the place of strength, and Mr. St. John 

 relates the death of a fox that had only three legs, 

 having lost one in a trap. This fox, an old dog, was 

 in first-rate condition and fat and well-liking, so he 

 evidently fared well. It was a rifle-bullet that laid 

 him low. His tracks were well known from the 

 peculiarity of the prints of the stump by which he 

 had often been traced in the snow. 



On the whole we may be tolerably certain that, 

 in spite of security and regular food, the captive fox 

 would prefer, and be happier when leading, a wild 

 and free life, even though he might be occasionally 

 hunted in the course of it. 



But besides the tame foxes we see and hear of, 

 there are many captive foxes in England. This is 

 nothing new. Beckford speaks of the necessity of a 

 yard for foxes. I gather that the object of this was 



