Ground Vermin Habits of the Fox. 349 



utter, one or two barks partaking more of an angry tone 

 than a painful one, still it will maintain a most obstinate 

 silence under the influence of acute pain, and resist with the 

 same obdurate determination the attacks of either men or 

 dogs even until death. We must confess to never having 

 seen a fox give in, and even under the most overwhelming 

 attack it fights with great desperation. It is no very 

 uncommon occurrence for a fox when caught in a gin to 

 endeavour to gnaw its leg through, in order to effect an 

 escape ; as to whether this be the result of instinct or not 

 opinions will differ. 



Foxes very often die in the gin before they can be 

 released, and, although the torture they must suffer is con- 

 siderable, still, in many instances, they die from sheer 

 broken-heartedness. 



Of course, care must be observed if a fox has to be 

 handled, for its bite is always severe, and ofttimes dangerous, 

 and, although bad results are not absolutely certain to accrue, 

 they may do so, and, therefore, the risk is not worth running. 



When the fox has captured and killed a bird of any sort, 

 whether game or not, it but rarely buries it, and in most 

 cases carries it either to the cubbing earth, if it be the season, 

 or to its own earth, or to some spot where it may quietly 

 consume its prey. When carrying birds, its most general 

 way is to seize the capture in its mouth by the neck, and by 

 a dexterous jerk of its head, to fling the body of the bird back 

 over its shoulders. Sometimes, however, it merely bears the 

 capture in its mouth by the neck, and either allows the 

 body to dangle in the air or drag along the ground. 

 Rabbits and hares it sometimes, but not often, carries 



