52 FOXES AT HOME. " 



However, whenever they become hungry they 

 know exactly where to find the food, and this 

 keeps them going until the vixen returns with a 

 fresh supply, during the night or in the early 

 morning. 



In every litter tliere is always one cub, the 

 largest, invariably a dog, who, in the vixen's 

 absence, seems to take charge of the rest^ comes 

 out of the earth first, sits and looks about to 

 see that all is safe and quiet, and then entices 

 the others out to play by gambolling about the 

 mouth of the earth, frequently running and 

 looking down into it, as much as to say, '' Come 

 on, it is all right I " and then the others come 

 out and join in the fun. 



When the litter is in a very lonely place and 

 there is no fear of human, canine, or other dis- 

 turbance, the vixen will kennel out much sooner 

 than she otherwise would, especially if there is 

 some thick cover close by, where she can 

 remain within easy call, as it were. When this 

 is the case the cubs come to the mouth of the 

 hole to bask in the sun when they are very tiny, 

 about the size of kittens, as I expect they find 

 it rather cold in the earth without their mother. 

 Only yesterday (April 20th) I went to look at 



