KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



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 z*** -&* * 



WHO SAID 'KOX ? 



bush, fixed my 

 apparatus, 

 and then cut 

 innumerable 

 branches off 

 other thorn 

 trees grow- 

 ing not far 

 away and 

 drove them 

 into the 

 ground 



right round the one beneath which 

 my camera was hidden. At last I 

 had only two small peep-holes, one 

 for the lenses and the other for me 

 to watch my field of focus through. 

 Placing myself at full length upon the 

 ground, I waited five hours and a quarter 

 on end before Reynard put in an appear- 

 ance. When he did it was so late in 

 the evening that I was compelled to 

 give an " Imperial " flashlight plate a 

 two-seconds' exposure, with only stop 16 



on a lens working at f 6. Judging that 

 it would be useless to try to turn my 

 dark slide round with a view to making 

 a second exposure, I put my fingers to 

 my lips and began to squeal in imitation 

 of a rabbit being killed by a stoat or 

 weasel. This greatly excited my " sitter," 

 and his forefeet were moving so rapidly 

 up and down that he appeared to be 

 literally dancing on the mound in front 

 of him. At last he lost control over 

 himself, and came stealthily forward to 

 investigate. When he got half-way 

 between his home and the bush be- 

 neath which I was hidden, his Vulpine 

 heart failed him, and he returned to 

 cover. 



Foxes usually bring forth from three 

 to five young ones, although a larger 

 number is sometimes met with, and 

 feed them upon rabbits, leverets, wild 

 duck, grouse, curlew, partridges, young 

 blackbirds, and thrushes, and even such 

 small deer as mice. 



