THE FOX. 23 



'' Tony " Cashen was then the huntsman, and 

 he, Lord Rossmore, and Mr. Burton Persse, 

 for many years master of the Galway Blazers, 

 were alone with hounds. Someone must go 

 on. Lord Rossmore rode at the park wall, 

 and got safely over. " What is at the other 

 side, my lord ? " shouted Tony. 'V avi, thank 

 God !'' replied his lordship, as he disappeared 

 from view ! 



A fox hardly ever starts in search of food 

 immediately on leaving his kennel ; it is not 

 until the witching hour of midnight, or in the 

 grey of the early morning, after perhaps having 

 been many hours on foot, that he begins to 

 think it is time to satisfy the cravings of 

 hunger. A vixen v/ith cubs, however, will 

 prowl about in search of food at all hours of the 

 night, and day also, if in a lonely place. She 

 generally leaves the vicinity of the earth where 

 her cubs are, undisturbed, in order, I suppose, 

 that they may have something to hunt 

 close at hand, when they are large enough 

 to play about or follow their mother. This does 

 not, however, prevent another vixen from 

 poaching on her preserves, which frequently 

 happens, when many litters are about. An 



