272 WOODLANDERS AND FIELD FOLK 



curious fact, and one perhaps hitherto unrecorded, 

 is that, when foraging, Reynard's whereabouts is 

 often made apparent by carrion crows and other 

 birds that noisily pursue him high overhead until he 

 secretes himself. In mountain districts his fare is 

 often meagre and hard to find; and ne shifts he 

 makes and the pittance he has to put tip with must 

 sorely pinch him in winter. In summer mountain 

 hares and wildfowl are not difficult to obtain, but 

 in times of severity these creatures descend the 

 mountains, drawing nearer to the haunts of men. 

 Then he is glad to get rats and mice, even beetles 

 and earthworms. Hedgehogs' skins may be found 

 near his " earth," and when frogs are obtainable he 

 considers them delicacies. Upon one occasion I 

 found stored up twenty-three shrew-mice; though 

 why they should have been stored instead of eaten 

 I cannot conjecture. Strangest of all, foxes are 

 extremely fond of fresh- water crayfish, obtaining 

 them from the mountain streams in summer when 

 the water is low. 



A curious habit, and one in which the mountain 

 fox invariably indulges, is that of frequently stopping 

 to listen when leaving the " earth." At first about 

 a hundred yards divides each halt, but when further 

 away the distance increases. In retiring to the 

 crags foxes never enter from below always from 

 above. Owing to its tread being much lighter than 



