From Fox's Earth 



"the meet." With characteristic suavity he pro- 

 nounced it charming. " But," with an inimitable 

 raising of the shoulder, " zare was no promenade, 

 no band of music nossing." It is just possible 

 that the criticism has some point. Fox-hunting 

 may not have all the elements of a refined sport ; 

 but it saves one native animal which must other- 

 wise have disappeared, and keeps in health another 

 which must have been enervated. Round the 

 manor-house it preserves the balance of life. 



A northern cult are the foxes. They grade 

 into one another, mainly as they approach or 

 cross this or that parallel of latitude, to live under 

 differing climatic conditions. It is simply the 

 influence of environment acting upon a single 

 species whose varieties would probably cross, over 

 the whole range. The differences are on the 

 surface. The fur may be touched as with hoar 

 frost, or snowed over. We speak of the silver 

 and the white fox. The silver fox is lovingly 

 known to the furrier ; and in the winter wear of 

 the dainty. 



The lowland fox grades into the hill fox. That 

 is, as far as the range within our seas will allow 

 them to go apart. There is neither gap nor line 

 between. On approaching the hills, the fox begins 

 to vary. The change is not in colour, at least, 

 not much. Such as it is comes about naturally 

 enough. In the rougher country certain muscles 

 are brought into fuller play. Length of leg gives 



