HOME AND HAUNTS OF THE FOX 81 



driven by stress of weather or the pressure of the 

 chase. The refuge may not always be close to the 

 kennel. Indeed it may be some miles away. The 

 fox has to trust to his speed and endurance to save 

 him. When a fox does not want to be found, but 

 goes straight across the middle of the fields, regard- 

 less of the direction of the wind, we may be sure that 

 he has a refuge in his mind. If he is not killed in 

 twenty minutes he will be safe under ground. When 

 food becomes scarce near one lair, the fox shifts his 

 ground. 



Foxes grow very restless in much-hunted coun- 

 tries; sometimes becoming corrupted by plenty, 

 and, finding the dust-heaps and pig-styes near a 

 village excellent foraging ground, they settle there 

 and are soon ' lost to name and fame.' Such foxes 

 seldom run far, yet are very difficult to kill. They 

 are often much more numerous in the neighbourhood 

 of large towns than would be supposed. Every- 

 one who has hunted with the South Quorn (Mr. 

 Fernie's) hounds will remember how many foxes there 

 are in the neighbourhood of the suburbs of Leicester. 



Another very favourite haunt of foxes is a range 

 of cliffs by the seashore. These are secure refuges 

 for the vixen and cubs, and foxes find a good deal 

 of food along the seashore. They may often be seen 



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