26 THE MAMMALIA OF DORSETSHIRE. 



of foxhounds established in Dorsetshire was by Thomas Fownes, 

 Esq., of Steepleton, about the year 1750. One of the longest 

 runs was on December 19th, 1S49, when a fcx was found at 

 Minterne and killed at Bridehead. The distance from point to 

 point was about 15 miles, and the ground traversed by the 

 hounds not less than 25 miles, done in two hours and a 

 fraction. In 184.3 1^0 less than 174 foxes were killed by Mr. 

 Farquharson's hounds and 31 driven to earth. In the 20 years 

 he hunted the county (i 837-1 857) 2,688 foxes were killed and 

 6,244. driven to earth. When hard pressed, foxes will some- 

 times climb ivy-covered trees, such as those in Sherborne Park. 

 A lot more might be written about foxes and foxhunting, but it 

 would be beyond the scope of this paper. Quaint old Topsel, 

 in his "History of the Wasp," 1608, writes thus: — " Raynard 

 the fox, who is so full of his wiles and crafty shifting, lies in 

 wait to betray wasps after this sort : The wily thief thrusteth his 

 bushy tail into the wasps' nest, there holding it so long till he 

 perceives it to be full of them, then, drawing it slily forth, he 

 beatheth and smitheth his tail full of wasps against the next 

 stone or tree, never resting so long as he seeth any of them 

 alive ; and, thus playing his fox-like parts many times together, 

 at last he setteth upon their combs, devouring all he can find." 

 Another old story of the fox is his method of catching crabs on 

 the seashore. When Raynard sees a crab being washed up by a 

 wave, he goes backward and turns the crab over with his 

 brush. The crab clings to his brush, Raynard draws him 

 away from the tide and makes a hearty meal without let or 

 hindrance.'" 



* Canis lupus, Wolf. 



The last British specimen was killed iu Scotland by Sir E. Cameron in 1678. 

 It was in Mr. Donovan's collection, which was sold in 1818. Certain place-names 

 as Wolvertou, Wolvern Wootton, an old name for Glauvilles Wootton, show 

 that wolves must have existed iu Dorsetshire iu very early times. 



