58 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



ones are not such desperate marauders. He tells us of 

 the fox that, " He forms his earth at the side of a wood 

 or near a hamlet ; he listens to the crowing of the 

 cocks and the cackling of the poultry ; he scents them 

 from afar — he chooses skilfully his time and his oppor- 

 tunity—carefully conceals his movements and his in- 

 tentions — creeps stealthily along, at times even 

 dragging his belly along the ground — springs suddenly 

 on his prey, and rarely fails of capturing it. If he can 

 manage to leap the enclosure, or burrow underneath, 

 he loses not an instant — he ravages the poultry-yard, 

 puts all indiscriminately to death, and then craftily re- 

 tires, carrying with him part of what he has slain, 

 which he takes away and conceals among the 

 grass, or carries to his home. Shortly afterwards he 

 returns in search of more, which he removes and hides 

 in like manner; he returns a third, and even a fourth 

 time, imtil either the appearance of daylight or some 

 stir about the house, warns him to retire and return no 

 more." Where is the farmer's wife who could read 

 this without horror, anticipating the fate of her poultry ? 

 That the fox is not the guilty culprit whose constant 

 practice it is to commit these depredations we are 

 certain ; for if he were the henroost would soon become 

 untenanted. Within a radius not exceeding one mile 

 of the spot where I am now writing, fifteen brace of 

 cubs were littered this season, and, within five miles, 

 thirty-five brace, to my certain knowledge. Many 

 more there may be which I do not know of ; where they 

 are so numerous, if they were in the habit of committing 

 the depredations named by Buff on, there would not be 

 a head of poultry in the country. But there is scarcely 

 a farm-house in the neighbourhood where they do not 

 keep from twenty to thirty hens, and in many instances 

 double that number. The game in the district to which 

 I allude is also very abundant. Buff on was not content 

 with watching poor Reynard to the henroost and ac- 

 cusing him of devastations, but adds, " He plays the 

 same game with the nets of the bird-catchers, and the 



