WILY'S STORY 37 



thought my best chance of escape was to be per- 

 fectly still, — a plan often adopted by me since on a 

 good scenting day ; but it was of no use, for the 

 huntsman almost rode upon me in drawing the 

 cover, and I was obhged to fly when the hounds were 

 close to me ; however, after a long run, I most 

 luckily escaped. 



The breeding season for game now came on, 

 and being still young I frequently was near being 

 tempted to seize an old bird as she sat on her eggs, 

 but the difference in the scent of the bird prevented 

 me. At length, when I had been prowling about 

 near a farmyard in which poultry were kept, one 

 night that I had not met with other food, I pounced 

 on a hen which was sitting in a hedge, but the state 

 she was in gave such an unpleasant taste to her flesh, 

 that after eating a httle I left it, and have never 

 since touched a bird of any sort when sitting. She 

 has at that time, indeed, but Httle flesh on her bones, 

 and I beheve that no old fox will take one for his 

 own eating, although a female may sometimes carry 

 one off*, when hard pressed for food for her young. 

 The same instinct which prevents hounds from hunt- 

 ing a fox with young, thus prevents much destruc- 

 tion of birds when sitting. It seems hke a design of 

 nature to save the race of birds that have their nests 



