The Fox and his Ways 201 



Hounds are said not to follow a vixen heavy with cub. 

 Perhaps it is a certain sportsmanlike instinct among wild 

 animals that prevents their killing their prey under such 

 circumstances. One explanation is that the scent left by 

 expectant mothers is too weak to be followed, or changes 

 so as to be no longer recognisable. In either case a wise 

 provision of nature seems to interfere in their behalf. I 

 believe I have seen it somewhere recorded that hounds, if 

 they come upon a vixen heavy with cub, will, of their own 

 free will, not break her. I have either been told or 

 have read of instances where hounds, having overtaken and 

 killed their fox, but finding it a vixen heavy with cub, 

 have left it alone, and have been found lying about the 

 corpse with no apparent eagerness to taste her blood. I 

 quote also the following from Thomas Smith's charming 

 book " The Life of a Fox as Told by a Fox " : "I heard 

 the hounds running a fox close to me, which they very 

 soon lost, as they could not or would not hunt it. I thought 

 this very strange, as by the use of my nose I knew it was a 

 good scenting day ; but it turned out that the fox was a 

 vixen who had just laid up her cubs, the effect of which 

 generally is to make the scent so different that hounds, old 

 ones particularly, appear to know it as if by instinct and 

 will not hunt it." 



One fine day madame sends her husband to a human neigh- 

 bour's where, she tells him, he will find a nice fat turkey 

 that Mrs. Farmer has neglected to lock up for the night. 

 This is simply a joke, and the unsuspicious husband, when 

 he returns, finds a surprise for him. Four, six, or even 

 eight cubs have come to " bless the union " of himself and 



