THE FOX 279 



foxes are not oftener killed late in the day, after a 

 hard and long run when it is nearly dark, that it is 

 o^ving to their strength recovering as their natural 

 time for exercise comes on ; but the more probable 

 cause for hounds not killing their fox oftener than 

 they do at this time is that, as night comes on in 

 the winter, the mnd gets much colder, and the 

 damp air, or rather the dew (which falls and does 

 not rise, as some suppose, on any flat surface — for 

 instance, the top of a gate will be covered with 

 water by the dew, when the under-side is perfectly 

 dry), depresses the scent, and prevents its expan- 

 sion ; consequently it becomes more difficult for 

 hounds to feel it sufficiently to press a fox so much 

 as they had done previously, although so much 

 closer to him. And unless they do press him, it 

 is almost impossible to say how much beaten he 

 is ; for it has happened often to the ^vi-iter, who 

 probably has enjoyed more of this midnight sort of 

 scenery than most men, that when he has been 

 determined to kill a fox, which from his running 

 short and amongst the hounds in cover for a long 

 time, it appeared that he was so beaten, that they 

 would kill in a few minutes, the fox has, after 

 dark, broke away, and taken an open country, 

 when it has been necessary to stop the hounds, as 



