72 THE FOX. 



Thus the nose of a fox is not only his scent- 

 machine, but also his wind-vane. Both functions 

 are performed by that small, moist, cold member 

 which leads the way everywhere. If you desire to 

 ascertain the direction of the wind, you moisten 

 your finger and hold it up before you. The cold 

 side is the wind side. Reynard's nose is moist by 

 the natural course of events, and is so sensitive that 

 it conveys to its owner the direction of currents of 

 air so slight that they amount merely to faint 

 movements of the atmosphere. The most breath- 

 less days are not devoid of such movement, or, if 

 so, the creatures that are dependent on their ' scent ' 

 for a living would fare badly. It would perhaps 

 be more accurate if we said that these creatures 

 are dependent upon their senses of smell and 

 wind-direction, for one sense is worthless without 

 the other. 



When a dog becomes thirsty its nose dries, and 

 it is said to lose its scent. Most probably its 

 ' scent ' remains unaffected, but owing to the 

 drying of its nose the dog is no longer able to 

 'watch the wind,' and thus has lost its chief 

 guidance. Keepers seem to have some knowledge 

 of this, for I have watched a keeper deliberately 

 moisten a dog's or a ferret's dry nose in order 

 to assist it in locating game. 



When a dog or a fox falls ill its nose becomes 

 hot and dry. This is one of nature's remedies. A 

 period of starvation is the finest medicine in the 

 world, and with the drying of the animal's nose 

 starvation is temporarily enforced, and, its hunting 

 abilities gone, the sick creature is content to den 

 up and sleep itself well. Thus at every turn we 

 find nature's schemes worked out to attain a definite 

 end. 



