THE FOX 271 



month, owing to their travels at night after the 

 vixens, which travels continue till the month of 

 March, when it is still no uncommon thing to find 

 two or three dog foxes in the same wood ; but though 

 such is the case with dog foxes, the vixens often 

 run very stoutly in February. Owing to the above 

 circumstance there is greater difficulty in finding 

 foxes during that month than any other, as they 

 congregate in the neighbourhood of some vixen, 

 near where a litter of foxes is usually bred ; and, 

 consequently, that is the only part likely to be a 

 tolerably sure find at this particular time of the 

 year. 



It has been asserted in a sporting publication, 

 not long since, as well as on other occasions, that 

 if a fox when he is moved by hounds is not pressed 

 in the chase, he will only keep a certain distance 

 before the pack. According to that idea, it matters 

 not what pace the hounds go ; as the fox stops 

 when hounds come to a check. But this assertion 

 is not borne out by the facts, at all events only 

 occasionally, where a fox has been often disturbed 

 by the hare -hounds, or other dogs ; on which 

 occasions he will not go straight aw^ay, or keep on. 

 But that good wild foxes do not dwell in the way 

 asserted above, innumerable proofs can be given of 



