THE FOX 



149 



Another curious matter is the Fox and the 

 Badger living on such neighbourly terms as they 

 do together (often bringing up their families in 

 the same earth), especially when one considers 

 how totally different the two animals are in their 

 habits. The Fox is, perhaps, not dirty in person, 

 but is naturally very untidy in and about his 

 home, for he will leave the decaying remains of 

 his prey about the earth in the most filthy 

 manner, whereas the Badger is particularly clean 

 both in person and home. 



Nothing seems to come amiss to the Fox in his 

 bill of fare. Among some of the most common 

 of his prey are fowls of every variety from the 

 farmyard, Pheasants, Partridges, Hares, Rabbits,. 

 Rats, Field-mice, Moles, young Rooks, Pigeons^ 

 small Birds, Cockroaches, Fruits and Berries 

 (especially Blackberries), and Wild Cherries. 



It will be seen that he, like most other animals, 

 has his good and bad points. Looking at him 

 from a gamekeeper's point of view, it must be said 

 his bad qualities far overbalance his good ones. 

 At the same time he is an excellent vermin killer^ 

 and it may not be generally known, even by those 

 who know him best and often paint him blackest, 

 that he is a deadly enemy both to the Stoat and 

 Weasel. He has a bad reputation as a fowl 

 stealer, some part of which is well earned, for there 

 is nothing he seems to enjoy more than a chicken. 



