64 THE FOX. 



as the wing of an old cock-grouse, dried by ex- 

 posure to sun and sand, and durable as leather. 

 The fittest cub picks it up and 'swanks' I can 

 think of no better word round with it, casting 

 glances of defiance at his brothers and sisters till a 

 tug-of-war ensues, the opponents snarling in a most 

 fear-inspiring and terrible manner. In the midst 

 of the contest the humorous cub for every litter 

 has its humorist runs full tilt into the wing, 

 knocking the others flying, and snatching up the 

 trophy, he tears off with it, running in circles and 

 colliding with everybody. There ensues a wild 

 scramble, during which the surly cub loses his 

 temper, fights in real earnest for the wing, and 

 finally gets it. Then he carries it off, growling 

 as he goes, and tries for the ninetieth time to 

 eat it, so that there shall be no further misunder- 

 standing as to whose it really is ! 



Until three or four months old fox-cubs give 

 practically no scent at all ; so little, indeed, that 

 hounds will run over them a very generous pro- 

 vision on the part of Dame Nature. At the time 

 when they are old enough to play about the den- 

 mouth, the vixen, evidently with the idea of 

 widening their outlook a little, sometimes prepares 

 for them a yard or a playground a little distance 

 from the earth, and thither, on fine nights, or 

 even during summer days if the place be suffi- 

 ciently secluded, she takes them at regular intervals. 

 Usually the yard is located in the midst of dense 

 bracken, or some other suitable cover, and easily 

 accessible from the den. The dam treads out a 

 bed for herself at one side of the small open space, 

 and there she lies watching her little ones while 

 they roll and scuffle in front of her keeping, 

 always, to strictly defined limits. Usually they 



