lettj:ii xxit. 243 



emerging from the wood hedge, he sits up, as a man 

 would in his easy chair, and first puts on his considei'ing 

 cap. Before him, scattered over the field, rabbits and 

 hares are feeding, in happy ignorance of their wily foe's 

 propinquity. His plans are soon laid, and, having fixed 

 upon the victim best suited to his taste, he thus proceeds: 

 he creeps slowly forward, with his body crouching to the 

 ground towards his prey. If the rabbit is startled, it 

 raises itself on its hind legs and looks around — the fox 

 is instantly on the ground, lying as still as death. Again 

 the rabbit feeds, again with slow and silent steps, still 

 crouching, his crafty foe approaches. The rabbit starts, 

 and stamps on the ground. The fox instantly raises him- 

 self erect — that form and eye once seen, the wretched 

 rabbit quails beneath them, and tries to hide himself by 

 lying close to the earth. Tt is enough — Mr. Wiley now 

 knows his victim is secure — creeping forward again in a 

 crouching manner, he slowly nears his frightened prey, 

 and when within a few paces, suddenly raising himself, 

 makes his fatal spring. 



When a fox runs up wind, he has generally some ob- 

 ject in view, either a head of earths, a drain, or some 

 favourite covert, and he will make every effort to gain 

 it. He does not turn down wind from any knowledge 

 that the scent is less, but because the pressure from 

 without is less with the wind than against it. With the 

 wind behind him, he can judge also of the distance be- 

 tween himself and his pursuers. When the pack are far 

 behind, a fox often loiters by the way, jogging leisurely 

 along, and sometimes stopping to listen. This is the 

 case when he has been forced from his own native covert, 

 and has therefore no particular point to make ; he will 



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