Fox- Hunting in New England. 83 



the safety of the young foxes I have had ocular proof, confirmed by 

 the statements of persons whom I believe. In June, 1868, an old 

 vixen was making sad havoc with one of my neighbors' lambs, and 

 an old fox-hunter was requested to take the field in their defense. 

 He proceeded with his hounds (tolerably good ones) to the woods 

 where her burrow was known to be, and put the dogs out. They 

 soon started her and ran her out of the woods, but greatly to the 

 surprise of the hunter they returned in a few moments, looking as 

 shamefaced as whipped curs, with the old fox following them. Dis- 

 gusted with the behavior of his own dogs, he sought the assistance 

 of an old hound of celebrated qualities, belonging to a neighbor. 

 She was put out with the other dogs, with just the same result. The 

 vixen was at last shot, while she was chasing the hounds, who then 

 turned upon her, biting and shaking her as is their wont when a 

 fox is killed before them ; but my friend, the hunter, told me they 

 were as sick and distressed as ever dogs were after an encounter 

 with a skunk. About the last of May, 1875, I witnessed a like 

 incident. A stanch old hound of my own having accompanied me 

 on a fishing excursion, started a fox in a piece of woods where a 

 litter of young were known to be. Anxious to preserve the litter 

 for sport in the fall, I hastened to call in the dog. I found him 

 trotting along with lowered tail, the vixen leisurely trotting not more 

 than five rods in advance, stopping every half minute to bark at 

 him, when he would stop till she again went on. I called him in 

 as easily as if he had been nosing for a mouse, though under ordi- 

 nary circumstances it would have required a vigorous assertion of 

 authority to have taken him ofT so hot a scent. 



If the life of the vixen is spared and she is not continually 

 harassed by men or dogs during the breeding season, she will remain 

 in the same locality for years, and rear litter after litter there ; per- 

 haps not always inhabiting the same burrow, but one somewhere 

 within the same piece of woods or on the same hill. If she is much 

 disturbed, or if she perceives that her burrow is discovered, she 

 speedily removes her young to another retreat. The young foxes 

 continue to haunt the woods where they were reared for some 

 months after they have ceased to require the care of their mother, 

 and then disperse. The habits above mentioned are common to the 

 cross and silver foxes, as well as the red fox. 



