THE EDUCATION OF THE FOX 27 



than the rest. He is, it must be confessed, something 

 of a bully. But I think that it is distinctly an ad- 

 vantage for the race that one of each litter should be 

 bolder, stronger, and cleverer than the others. In the 

 event of the mother being killed, which often happens, 

 this cub, I believe, acts as a kind of leader and tutor 

 to the others. In one case a rather dark-furred cub 

 with a white tag to his brush was considerably in 

 advance of his brethren, whom, however, he led a sad 

 life, yet greatly, I have no doubt, to their benefit. He 

 would go some distance away and then carefully stalk 

 them, creeping, crouching, crawling stealthily onwards 

 till he would pounce suddenly upon them, apparently 

 to their great terror. Thereupon a great fighting and 

 snarling arose, which was sometimes quelled by the 

 mother. On one occasion when the old vixen brought 

 back a crippled rabbit (in this way does she teach the 

 cubs to kill) the dark cub was the first to seize and worry 

 it, the others being apparently half afraid until their 

 stronger brother showed the way. Though cubs are 

 of course all born at the same time, the privileges 

 and duties of an elder brother always fall to one, and 

 he is, I think, invariably the favourite of the mother. 

 I can well imagine this stronger cub leading the way 

 in forays, if the vixen should — as many do — lose her 

 life early in the spring or summer. By example this 



