THE BRITISH RED FOX 



always carry the longest brush. I have one taken 

 from a I7i-lb. fox which measures only fifteen 

 inches, whereas the brush of an eight or nine 

 months old cub is a good eighteen inches long. 



The fur of our EngHsh fox is at its best in 

 winter. Luckily however the skins have not been 

 considered of much value, although at one time 

 prices rose considerably owing to a demand for 

 the cheaper kinds of fur. 



Roughly speaking, the number of cubs to a 

 litter is four. Much larger Htters than this are 

 however reported from time to time. The 

 largest of which I have a record is that mentioned 

 in " Reminiscences of a Huntsman " by the Hon. 

 Grantley Berkeley. This Htter, consisting of 

 twelve cubs, was laid down in Wiltshire. A 

 litter of seven cubs was taken in the Exmoor 

 country, and other litters of eight and nine are 

 on record. In 1910 a litter of ten cubs was 

 reported from Germany. One of a litter that was 

 taken in the Lake District in April, 1920, had all 

 four of its pads pure white. 



The fox arrives at maturity in from eighteen 

 months to two years. A cub which I gave to a 

 friend was a magnificent specimen of a dog fox 

 in his third year. The fox may live to twelve 

 or fourteen years, although probably very few 

 if any reach this age. Certainly very old foxes 

 are occasionally accounted for, toothless, grizzled 

 customers, yet nearly always fat. Doubtless 

 such old stagers make up in cunning for their 

 physical deficiencies. 



The menu of the fox is an exceedingly varied 

 one, and not as some people suppose limited 

 entirely to flesh. While hares and rabbits, rats, 

 moles, mice, birds and frogs appeal strongly to 



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