THE FOX 143 



of the wood. He was curious to know what steps 

 the mother would take in this disturbed state of 

 home surroundings, and in consequence sent for 

 his field-glasses and kept watch, for he felt sure 

 she would not be absent long if she had any regard 

 for her youngsters, especially during such severe 

 weather. He had not long to wait when he saw 

 her come to the edge of the uncut wood, take a 

 general survey round, and, fmding all quiet, she 

 very cautiously took half a dozen circles round 

 the stub, finally entering, curling herself up, and 

 suckling her cubs in the same way a bitch would 

 her puppies. The following morning he again 

 went to the spot and found them gone. No doubt 

 the vixen had removed them to a more quiet part 

 of the wood. 



It has been said that the offspring of stub-bred 

 Foxes will always breed above ground, but I have 

 had many opportunities of proving this not to be 

 so, for, after removing stub-bred Foxes into a 

 country where there are plenty of earths, my 

 keeper friends tell me they go to ground and breed 

 there as freely as the natives do. I think this is 

 proof that stub-bred Foxes are so only by compul- 

 sion and not from choice. 



There is no doubt about Foxes pairing off during 

 the breeding season, for this is often shown by the 

 fact that where hounds find a vixen in the early 

 Spring months a Dog Fox is there too. If not 



