The Fox and his Ways 203 



the old females, which are commonly of a dark reddish 

 brown." 



The white tip on a vixen, I believe, is the exception to 

 the rule, but, however that may be, the ladies are easily 

 distinguished — if you can get near enough to note — by 

 their size and especially by their more sharply pointed 

 noses. The question of colour, especially of shade, is a 

 very uncertain one ; it not only varies in the same litter, 

 but, to some extent, with the change of coat and season. 



Soon after the cubs' eyes open, they are brought to the 

 mouth of the earth and given their first lessons in diving 

 back into this harbour of safety at the slightest noise. 

 Later, if the earth is in any way disturbed, they are moved 

 usually some distance away, and after that are kennelled 

 out of doors. They are carried by the mother just as a 

 domestic cat moves her kittens, one at a time, lifted by the 

 nape of the neck. In this way a vixen will sometimes 

 move a whole family several miles during a single night. 

 Beetles and mice and later a young rabbit are brought in, 

 which mother proceeds to break in truly workmanlike 

 manner, dividing quite fairly. Simpson, the earth-stopper, 

 tells me madame is very particular in these divisions of her 

 spoil, never taking a mouthful of it herself, but devoting 

 all her time and energy to teaching etiquette to her family. 

 Such a meal is generally consumed at some little distance 

 from the home. The cubs, who have been waiting and 

 playing about the earth until their mother's return, at a 

 call from her rush away to meet her, and are then, perhaps, 

 taken still farther away to some secluded spot that she 

 knows of, before the fare is served. On no account must a 



