146 WILD ANIMALS WORTH STALKING 



mile or two away every bird has been taken as 

 soon as she started sitting! Rabbits, too, in 

 plenty were occupying burrows within a few 

 yards from the earth, yet these were not inter- 

 fered with. Why this is so appears difficult to 

 explain, unless it is that there shall be a good 

 supply of food close at home when the cubs are 

 first learning to catch the same on their own 

 account. One good authority on Foxes says he 

 is of opinion the vixen does not kill her prey near 

 home to avoid causing any disturbance which 

 might act as an advertisement to disclose the 

 situation of her earth, and perhaps lead to her 

 own destruction. There may be something in 

 this; if so, she quite forgets the advertising 

 business when bringing birds from a distance, for 

 feathers are strewn freely around, which makes 

 nothing more easy to be seen than an earth where 

 cubs are present. 



Often the slightest interference with a litter of 

 cubs will be the means of causing the vixen to 

 shift them. Sometimes this happens as a result 

 of a person merely walking over the earth ! 

 Another earth is generally in readiness not far 

 away in the event of anything turning up of a 

 disturbing nature. Some vixens are constantly 

 shifting their cubs for no apparent reason, while 

 others are reared where they are born. 



I once knew of a vixen drawing an earth ready 



