50 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 



1 was obliged to beat a retreat. Several times in the 

 pursuit, when I came to a stand-still, Prince's voice 

 appeared as if he had brought the foe to bay. Now 

 as I halted the same thing occurred, and as the dog 

 did not appear to be much over a hundred yards 

 distant, I determined to make another effort, which 

 resulted in no better success. This led me to believe 

 that my dog came up with the fox, and brought him 

 to bay, but as the latter was the larger, Prince was 

 afraid to lay hold, and on my advancing too close to 

 the belligerents, pug would make off again, to halt 

 when he thought himself out of harm's way. 



Next morning I instituted a search, which was un- 

 successful ; but a week afterwards, when shooting wood 

 grouse in the same vicinity, I accidentally came across 

 the carcass of a dead black fox, partly immersed in 

 a pool of stagnant water, which had utterly destroyed 

 what must have been a most perfect and prime pelt. 



Now, although I am convinced that the black or 

 silver fox is not of the same species as the red, I believe 

 he is only a chance variety of the kit or cross fox. 

 Mr. Mac Donald, who formerly resided on the upper 

 end of Lake Simcoe, assured me that he has taken the 

 young of this species on several occasions, and that 

 twice he found puppies perfectly black, although the 

 pixen and the brothers and sisters bore the usual 



