THE FOX. 37 



minished ; for though the Fox is a much larger animal than the 

 rabbit, and needs a rather larger tunnel, it finds that the task of 

 enlarging a ready-made burrow is very much less than if it had 

 to drive a passage through solid ground. Every one who has 

 worked with carpenters' tools knows that a large gimlet passes 

 easily through wood; if it follows the track of a smaller one, and 

 on the same principle, the Fox passes easily through the earth on 

 the track of the rabbit. The burrow of the latter animal is more- 

 over much larger than is absolutely required for its passage, 

 while the former is quite satisfied if he can pass through the 

 tunnel with tolerable rapidity. 



Sometimes, however, the animal is not fortunate enough to 

 find any ready-made habitation, and in such cases sets determ- 

 inately to work, and scoops out a burrow on its own account. 

 Herein it lies asleep all day, as is the custom with most preda- 

 ceous animals, and only sallies forth at night. Herein the moth- 

 er produces and nurtures her young, and sometimes on a sum- 

 mer's evening, the whole family, the father, mother, and cubs, 

 come out to enjoy the fresh air. They never wander far from 

 the mouth of the burrow, and as the young are gamesome little 

 creatures, as plaj^ful as puppies, and much prettier, and the moth- 

 er helps her young ones in their sports as a good mother ought 

 to do, the group presents a very pretty sight. When young the 

 cubs are certainly not prepossessing, and scarcely any one would 

 take the sprawling gray -coated, broad - muzzled creatures, with 

 their little short pointed tails and stumpy ears, for the young of 

 the Fox, with its ruddy fur, its active limbs, its narrow muzzle, 

 its fine bushy tail, and its erect, intelligent-looking ears. 



Though there -is but one burrow for the nursery, the Fox gen- 

 erally has access to " earths," as they are called, at considerable 

 distances apart, and, as all huntsmen know, when he finds that 

 one of his earths is stopped, will straightway start off for another 

 which may probably be at a distance of several miles, not to 

 mention his accurate knowledge of drains and similar places of 

 refuge. Therefore to keep an old experienced Fox above ground 

 is a task which needs great skill and considerable endurance, for 

 he is by no means above availing himself of clefts in rocks, 

 should the country be of a mountainous nature, or using holes 

 in decayed trees; and, indeed, if within a radius of some ten or 

 twelve miles there is a cavity which is capable of concealing a 

 Fox, the cunnms: animal is sure to know it. 



