2 2 Game and Foxes. 



risk to nests at its foot. Nevertheless, when a fox 

 does discover a nest at the foundation of a wall 

 there is little chance of the bird eluding him, as 

 the wall is an obstacle in her way, and she is 

 obliged to fly upward or directly over her enemy. 

 It is a very slow fox indeed which is not able to 

 seize a bird under these conditions. Should a 

 partridge be sitting on one side of a fence she is 

 able to pop through to the opposite side, and thus 

 get away. A bird which has been sitting on a nest 

 for many hours is not always in a fit condition 

 to make best use of legs or wings as a means of 

 escape ; she is more or less stiff, and this gives 

 the fox a great advantage over her. Those readers 

 who have noticed the cramped, helpless state of a 

 fowl when suddenly removed from a nest on which 

 she has been sitting will recognise the truth of 

 this statement. 



The loving attention of a cock partridge for his 

 mate often saves the latter from a fox, for the 

 male bird is seldom far distant while the hen is 

 sitting, and at night watches a few feet away. 

 Should a fox pass close by it is the cock's part to 

 simulate a wounded bird, and so decoy Reynard 

 for some distance beyond. This the bird is ready 

 to do, and his cleverness frequently saves a nest 

 from destruction. 



