184 The Naturalist in Siluria. 



* 



A DOG AND FOX FIGHT ENDING 

 MYSTERIOUSLY. 



Another instance of a dog entering a badger's burrow, 

 and never coming out again, occurred just twelve months 

 ago, and within a hundred yards of my own house in 

 the hanging woods of Penyard Hill, that rise directly to 

 rear of it. The " holt " was, and still is, at the base of a 

 cliff, an outcrop of the old red sandstone conglomerate, 

 but in this case there was no badger in it ; or, if so, he 

 was not the object after which the dog was sent in. In- 

 stead, a fox had just entered, as told by its tracks in the 

 snow; for it was during the long-lying snowfall of 

 January, 1881. The dog was a rough Scotch terrier, that 

 had often tackled both foxes and badgers ; and its owner, 

 a poor man, supposing he had made a sure profitable find, 

 urged it in after the fox, bagging the mouth of the hole, 

 to secure the latter when it should attempt bolting out. 



For some time the men outside for there were two of 

 them heard the sounds of a struggle, a combat a out- 

 ranee between dog and fox, as their angry voices indicated. 

 But these gradually grew feebler ; not as if the strife were 

 being relaxed, but carried farther away into the rocks ; 

 at length ceasing altogether, or, at least, ceasing to be 

 heard. Nor came there out any sound afterwards; neither 

 issued forth dog nor fox ; though for days the place was 

 frequently revisited, and the snow carefully examined all 

 around. Had either of the animals returned out again 

 their tracks could not fail being seen; besides, the terrier 

 would have found its way home, the distance being only 

 a few hundred yards. 



In this case there was no thought of opening the 

 burrow, which, being a natural cavity in the rocks, would 



