348 Practical Game Preserving. 



to foster, or appear to foster, the vermin whose existence 

 in our coverts we most dread, or whose entrance into our 

 well-stocked poultry house is most destructive? For our 

 part, we fail to see a conclusive reason ; and when we catch 

 a fox, that fox either goes to a distant part of the country 

 from which it may be no easy task to return, or is despatched 

 to a " happy hunting ground " the entrance to which is 

 through a noose of cord. 



The character of Reynard remains the same wherever he 

 may be found, as the astute hunter of his prey, with which 

 characteristic his name is always associated. Though, strictly 

 speaking, the fox is a flesh-eating animal, circumstances 

 compel it in some cases to subsist on fish, such reptiles as 

 frogs, and snails, together with fruit and vegetables of 

 various kinds, and it also has no objection to devour those 

 insects for which certain domestic cats of scraggy appearance 

 seem to have a penchant. In Scotland, there called " tod," 

 it is of considerable service in keeping down the immense 

 number of moor mice which would otherwise destroy or 

 depreciate the vegetation of many highland moors. 



The cry of the fox, generally termed its bark, is a series 

 of quickly uttered sounds, partaking of the nature of the 

 bark proper and a half-yelping whine, except at the period 

 of clicketing, when it becomes a sort of yelp. During the 

 summer we have but rarely heard the fox bark ; but during 

 the autumn, we have, night after night, heard them lifting 

 up their voices for five or six minutes at a time. There 

 are few more courageous animals when bearing pain, and 

 although very often at the instant when the jaws of a 

 gin snap upon its pad, or in similar circumstances, it may 



