THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 37 



most animals, ' ' continued he, * * as I observed 

 yesterday, have an aversion to kill those in 

 any of the situations just described; but I 

 should have added, when the fur'pose is to 

 eat them. For instance, a stoat v^ill not 

 touch a rabbit when about to litter; but a 

 terrier would kill her in a moment. This is 

 the reason that so few birds are killed whose 

 nests are on the ground. The weazel avoids 

 the partridge and lark whilst setting, and the 

 fox passes the pheasant." 



" What! " exclaimed I. " Won't a fox 

 snap a pheasant from her nest ? ' * 



" Gamekeepers," resumed Trimbush, 

 " would tell you, * Always when an oppor- 

 tunity presents itself;' but I know better. A 

 vixen, with a large litter, and food scanty, 

 will do so now and then, I don't deny; but 

 what does she get ? Skin, bone, and feathers 

 — a most unsavoury morsel, for which the cubs 

 will scarcely care to fight. The mother knows 

 this well enough, and, unless driven to 

 extremities, never takes any kind of bird 

 from her nest." 



* ' The farmer's wife tells a different story, ' ' 

 I observed. 



** The farmer's wife, like the gamekeeper, 



