CUBDOM. 39 



the mouth of the earth just after they are born, 

 when they can easily be heard crying and 

 whining Hke kittens ; after a day or so they keep 

 very quiet, and sleep, I fancy, most of their 

 time. A sure sign, however, that the cubs have 

 been born for some days is when the entrance 

 and bottom of the hole becomes beaten per- 

 fectly flat, like the capital letter D lying on its 

 face thus Q ! This is caused by the frequent 

 passage of the vixen to and fro, her tracks as 

 she straddles in being at either side of the hole, 

 and none in the centre, thus differing from one 

 much used by rabbits, which, owing to their 

 tracks always being " down the centre," becomes 

 more or less concave, thus O ' 



It does not do to bring dogs near earths 

 where cubs are laid up, or to visit them too 

 frequently, as vixens are sometimes very 

 nervous and jealous, and will shift to another 

 earth if they think their litters have been dis- 

 covered, sometimes taking them clean away ; 

 but if one goes quietly up to within a few yards 

 and then retires without in any way disturbing 

 the earth, she will probably take no notice. 

 However, it is always well to be on the safe 

 side, and, if you know the cubs are in the earth 



