THE ARCTIC FOX. 73 



Food Catching water-fowl. 



swim across rivers with great agility. Their prey 

 is various; it being observed, that in Nova Zem- 

 bla and Spitzbergen, they subsist chiefly on the 

 smaller quadrupeds; in Greenland they are com- 

 pelled to appease the cravings of appetite with 

 berries,, or whatever is thrown up by the sea; 

 but in Lapland and the northern parts of Asia 

 they find an abundant supply in those troops of 

 Lemings which sometimes cover the face of the 

 country. Their mode of obtaining fish for prey 

 evinces an extraordinary share of cunning and 

 ingenuity. They go into the water, and make a 

 splash with their feet, in order to disturb the 

 scaly tribes ; and when these come up, they im- 

 medi^tely seize them. An almost incredible de- 

 gree of cunning is also displayed in their mode 

 of entrapping the different kinds of waterfowl. 

 They advance a little way into the water; and 

 afterwards retire, playing a thousand antic tricks 

 on the banks. The fowl approach ; and on their 

 coming near, the fox ceases his frolics that he 

 may not alarm them, only moving his tail very 

 gently,- the former are said to be so foolish as to 

 come up now and peck at it ; when the fox sud- 

 denly springs round, and secures the unsuspecting 

 victim. On the other hand, however, they are 

 themselves frequently destroyed by the birds of 

 prey; and Mr. Pennant observes, they are so 

 simple that instances have occurred of their 

 standing by while a trap was baiting, and imme- 

 diately afterwards putting their heads into it. 



NO. II. K 



