180 A COUNTRY READER. 



good than harm. Therefore why kill these 

 animals ? Why stamp them quite out of 

 existence ? 



If you see a wild thing, why not let it go ? It 

 is more beautiful alive than dead. It is cruel 

 and selfish to kill whenever you get the chance. 



If the wild animal or bird does more good than 

 harm, if its wild life adds to the charm of the 

 country side, why not let it live its life ? 



Give some other human being a chance of 

 feeling the pure pleasure that arises from observ- 

 ing its ways and habits. 



It is no easy matter to observe accurately the 

 ways and habits of any animal or bird that is 

 living its own free life. 



It requires sympathy, patience, self-control, 

 trained powers of observation, and a certain 

 amount of knowledge. 



The Dog Family. 



The dog family, of course, includes all the 

 domesticated dogs ; the wolf, that is no longer 

 seen in this country, and the fox, which is the 

 only member of the dog family that is found wild. 



Fox. The fox lives in an underground dwel- 

 ling dug out by itself, or else it occupies a 

 deserted badger-burrow. 



It is one of the prettiest sights to watch a 

 litter of cubs of an evening come out of their 



