THE HII.L FOX 



a number of traps, seldom fails to work the 

 oracle. 



A hunted fox is usually pretty good at con- 

 cealing his movements, but I doubt if he can 

 compare with the big hill-foxes in this respect. 

 Anyone who waits near a den at dawn or dusk, 

 in hopes of getting a shot at a dog-fox or vixen 

 bringing food to the cubs, will quickly realise the 

 difficulty of detecting the approach of their 

 phantom-like forms. 



In many districts of Scotland there used to be 

 a local character known as the " tod-hunter," 

 anglice fox-hunter. His assistants in the work 

 of destroying foxes were a motley canine crew, 

 composed of terriers, hounds, and animals of the 

 lurcher type known as " streakers." 



During the cubbing time, the tod-hunter used 

 to visit the earths with his terriers. The latter 

 generally made short work of a litter, after which 

 a watch was kept for the return of the old foxes. 

 Should these have been missed by the hidden 

 guns, the "streakers" were slipped in hopes 

 of bringing them to hand. At other times of 



year, the fox-hunter used to draw the crags and 

 corries, while men were posted at the various 

 passes with ' ' streakers," ready to slip them at the 

 foxes when opportunity offered. 



Colquhoun, in " The Moor and the Loch," 

 gives a good account of a hunt with a big hill-fox. 

 He and his brother were on a roe-hunting ex- 

 pedition with a steady old hound, when the latter 

 got on to a fox. Both sportsmen shot at it, the 

 shots taking effect. Despite its wounds however, 

 the fox afforded an exciting chase ere it was 

 finally run into by the hound. Many a wounded 



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