CUBDOM. 59 



rabbits, and we did not find out where she then 

 shifted them to till many days afterwards. 



When cubs, on first coming out to play, or 

 occasionally in the interludes, keep looking in 

 any particular direction, you may be quite 

 certain that that is the point from which the 

 vixen usually comes up, and if you should 

 happen to be in that direction you had better 

 get out of it as quickly as 3'OU can, as if she 

 finds you your amusement is over for that night 

 at any rate ; even if she does not shift the 

 cubs, which she may very probably do. Any- 

 one who has once heard the squall of a startled 

 vixen close to his ear will not soon forget it. 

 At her cry of alarm — W — a — a — ow ! W — a — a 

 — ow ! — the cubs usually vanish (though once or 

 twice I have seen them not take much notice 

 until she preceded the above cry by the ordinary 

 note of warning, which she gives when they are 

 very small, and when she is with them on the 

 earth—" Oof ! '^ '' Oof ! ! " it sounds like). She 

 then circles round the unwelcome visitor and 

 continues the squalling long after he has taken 

 his departure. It is astonishing the distance to 

 which the sound will carry on a still evening. 

 One evening lately I sent my small boy to 



