CUBDOM. 51 



chevying each other round every tree near the 

 •earth. They are especially fond of old tree 

 stools, from which they soon scrape off the 

 bark, and seem to eat the ants' eggs and other 

 insects which they find underneath. Some- 

 times three or four stand- on their hind legs 

 together, and, putting their tiny paws round 

 each other's necks, have a wrestling match ; 

 and I once heard a man boast that he had killed 

 four in this position with one shot. Murderer! 

 That man came to a bad end. ' 



When the cubs are old enough to play out by 

 themselves the vixen generally brings some 

 food with her when coming to the eartb in the 

 ■evening ; this, however, she does not always 

 permit them to eat at once, but buries it close 

 by, and should the little cubs, who watch her 

 with great interest, scratch it up again as soon 

 .as her back is turned, which they frequently do, 

 she re-buries it, and continues to do so until 

 they finally leave it vmtouched. I have seen a 

 yixen become quite angry when some cub, more 

 persistent than the others, continued to unearth 

 some piece of rabbit, after she had carefully 

 buried it hard by, knowing that the cubs were 

 then not hungry, and only meant to play with it, 



E 2 



