114 FOXES AT HOME. 



usual time, and I recognised her at once as 

 the Penny Hill vixen. We did not have 

 many foxes in those days, and what we had 

 we knew by sight, just as well as our spaniels. 

 After suckling the cubs, she lay down on the 

 earth and went to sleep, evidently very tired. 

 I have never seen a vixen do this before or 

 since, as when they come up to the earth, as a 

 rule, they have only just got out of their kennel, 

 and go off on the prowl without delay. I had 

 some difficulty in getting away without disturb- 

 ing her. The next night and the night following 

 she did not appear at all, and, though the keeper 

 or myself watched regularly every night for 

 weeks, she only came up on an average about 

 twice a week. It struck me then that she was 

 travelling to and from Bramshill, and I expected 

 to see her turn up with the remaining three 

 cubs every day, but they were either unable or 

 unwilling to accompany her, and evidently the 

 dog fox took care of these two, as they remained 

 in the same earth till they were old enough to 

 kennel out and look after themselves. I told 

 Charles Brackley, Mr. Garth's huntsman, of 

 this, and said I should not be the least surprised 

 if he ran a fox from Bramshill to the Royal 



