THE COMMON FOX. 



CASSELL-S 'POPULAR NATURAL HISTORY. 



now M-nt to I,- I..I..I,, hunted, and escaped, and, in a few weeks, was again taken in the game 

 ,,,,,|'iee, W he,, his marks justified the former conjectures, in spite of the seeming improbability of the 



fact. This poor animal was 

 destined once more to put his 

 strength and sagacity to tin- 

 test, but one or the other 

 failed him, and he was caught 

 by the hounds after a severe 

 chase, bearing the marks of 

 his former escapes, which 

 ought to have entitled him 

 to the privilege of life, for- 

 merly granted to a stag who 

 had fortunately escaped his 

 royal pursuers. 



Fox-hunting is pursued 

 in France, and is a rather 

 favourite amusement in Swe- 

 den, where it is always con- 

 ducted on foot. When the 

 dogs are thrown off, the 

 sportsmen, who are armed 

 with guns, post themselves in 

 different parts of the surrounding country, and thus endeavour to waylay their victim. 



One day, after a fall of snow in the night, Count von Essen, who resided at Arno, in Upland, 

 ordered his hunters to go and seek for the tracks of foxes ; and in an hour one of them returned with 

 the tidings that a fox was tracked, and that he lay on the branches of a large oak which stood in a 

 meadow. The Count proceeded with a companion to the spot, and while they were conversing about who 

 should fire, the fox went to the top of the tree, so that he was between forty and sixty feet high up in 

 the oak. It wa.s from six- 

 teen to twenty feet to the 

 first branch, and the trunk 

 was quite straight, and 

 stood on level ground. 

 When the shot was fired, 

 the fox came down, not 

 falling, but as if he were 

 descending a staircase, and 

 sprang to another oak, 

 which stni ii I somewhat 

 from the former, and which 

 he attempted toclimb. l!ul 

 hr- OUnning was in vain ; 

 -iogs, which in the 

 meantime were let loose, 

 drew him down and killed 

 him. Three shots had 

 hit him ; but the larger 



branches ot tin- oak had received the remainder. From being constantly chased, other foxes had gone 

 up the trees in another part of (In- island, where there were rough and high rocks, close to old crooked oaks. 

 >f Kin-ope fox-hunting is rendered profitable. A skin full haired, well taken on' 

 and dried, has been nearly as \aluable as a wolf or lynx's skin, and the sale of the common red fox- 

 kins in KII->I:I ha.; rendered t,, Sweden no inconsiderable cash returns. Black or striped foxes are 







THE ItF.I) FOX. 



