64 FOXES AT HOME. 



them indiscriminately, but when they again 

 shift each takes her own lot with her. 



Some years ago Charles Brackley, Mr. Garth's 

 huntsman, wrote to me to say that one of the 

 w^oodmen looking after part of the heath had told 

 him that he had seen ten foxes together at an 

 earth on his ground, and that the cubs were half- 

 grown, and Brackley wished me to have a look 

 at the earth to see what was really there. So 

 that very evening, about 6 p.m., I set off, armed 

 with my field glasses, and took up a position 

 about fifty yards from the earth, which was 

 in an old boundary bank, where I could see 

 both sides, and the different entrances to the 

 earth. About 7.30 j).m. a vixen came up to 

 the earth on one side of the bank, and 

 immediately four small cubs ran out and 

 commenced suckling her, and presently another 

 vixen came along the other side of the bank 

 to be greeted by four other little cubs, and 

 they were both suckling their cubs at the 

 same time. In a minute or so two cubs left 

 off suckling the first vixen, and running on 

 to the top of the bank saw the other cubs with 

 the second vixen, when they immediately rushed 

 down to them, joined in, and commenced 



