Fox Preserving Varieties of Foxes. 517 



The first requisite in fox preservation is to know something 

 of the habits of the animal itself. A good deal of information 

 relating to the varmint from the game preserver's point of 

 view will be found in a previous chapter, but we propose 

 here to some extent to supplement that. 



Some affirm the existence of three varieties of the fox in 

 Britain, commonly denominated the " greyhound fox/' the 

 ''cur fox," and the " mastiff fox." These names are devoid 

 of meaning, for such " varieties " do not exist, but are 

 nothing more than modifications in the build and charac- 

 teristics of the foxes inhabiting differently featured districts, 

 and the result of variation in climate and locality. 



Some foxes are taller and more gaunt than usual, and 

 these may be dubbed greyhound foxes ; others, again, of 

 large build, stout, and cobby, are in the nature of a mastiff 

 fox; while the "curs" are represented by the smaller mem- 

 bers of the vulpine race, which may be a variety, inasmuch 

 as the tip of the tail is always black. The first of these is 

 probably most often noticed, and is asserted to occur in any 

 mountainous districts of the country likely to originate 

 and necessitate the agility of frame which must characterise 

 this kind of fox. The cur fox is the one best known, and 

 the most pernicious varmint of the three " approaches 

 nearer to the habitations of mankind, lurks about the out- 

 houses of the farmer, and destroys all the poultry it can 

 get at." 



Various distinctions are made between individual foxes. 

 Thus we hear of grey and red, not to mention what is 

 occasionally described as a " great blue f ox " rather a 

 startling colour for Reynard, if we may accept this de- 



