36 FOXES AT HOME. 



the hounds were drawing some high heath and 

 young fir trees, near here, in the middle of April, 

 a vixen, followed by a brace of tiny cubs half 

 the size of a rabbit, crossed the ride in full view 

 of some of the field ; luckily the hounds were 

 busily engaged with another fox at the time, so 

 she was able to escape with her little treasures. 

 I have no doubt these particular cubs were 

 " stub bred," as there had been no litter in any 

 of the earths in the neighbourhood. 



A vixen makes no bed, and when in due 

 course the little cubs arrive, which they do early 

 in March (I have known them in February, but 

 that is early, and the exception), they are laid 

 on the dry earth. This is a wise instinct, as, if 

 there was a bed of any sort, it would soon 

 become foul and unfit to lie upon, and would 

 probably give the little ones mange. The cubs 

 are born blind like dogs, and remain so for about 

 nine days. Tiny little sooty-coloured balls of 

 fur they are shortly after they are born, and 

 covered with a sort of down. They look sweet 

 (as the ladies say), with their little round fuzzy 

 faces, and dark blue eyes, with which they gaze 

 on you wonderingly without any sign of fear. It 

 was in " The Brownies " (I think?) that the 



