THE FOX. 69 



Instances of cunning Voracious appetite. 



suspend his operations, and to retire to his 

 den. 



Bird-catchers are also well acquainted with the 

 -craft and ingenuity of this animal : for he usually 

 visits their nets and hirdlime early in the morn- 

 ing; and carries off successively the birds which 

 are entangled; concealing them by the sides of 

 highways, in the furrows, and under the herbage 

 or brush-wood, where they are sometimes left 

 two or three days, but where he knows perfectly 

 to find them when pressed by hunger. He fre- 

 quently discovers the nests of partridges and 

 quails; when he seizes the mother on the eggs, 

 and destroys a vast quantity of game. Such, in- 

 deed, is his voracity, that on a failure of better 

 food, he will prey on rats, field-mice, serpents, 

 lizards, and toads ; and this is the only service 

 that he appears to render to mankind. When 

 pressed by hunger, he will also eat roots or 

 insects ; and the foxes near the sea coast will de- 

 vour crabs, shrimps, or shell-fish with the utmost 

 Avidity. 



Buffon informs us, that this daring robber 

 sometimes attacks bee-hives, and the nests of 

 .wasps, for the sake of what he can find to eat: 

 but his reception on these occasions is frequently 

 so rough as to compel him to retire, that he may 

 crush his assailants by rolling himself on the 

 ground. Having thus rid himself of his trouble- 

 some companions, he instantly returns to the 

 charge, and obliges them at length to 



