and Economy oj the Fox. 515 



night was far advanced when the furious animal left the spot 

 (juite exhausted." 



I would not vouch for the truth of this case, even though 

 an old hunter has confirmed it on his deathbed ; as there 

 are many who have talked themselves into a firm belief of 

 their stories. But, if the former examples must give us a high 

 opinion of the fox's reasoning faculties and boldness, the fol- 

 lowing will bear evidence to its daring and forethought : — A 

 few years ago, a fox entered, in broad daylight, the poultry- 

 yard of the parsonage of Sentzke, in Westhavelland (Regie- 

 rungsbezirk Potsdam), and succeeded in killing and burying 

 in the neighbouring garden nineteen fowls. When the 

 animal was entering the garden with the twentieth, it was ob- 

 served, and took to its heels. On account of its burrow being 

 distant, it had availed itself of so favourable an opportunity of 

 laying in a store near the yard, which, for several nights and 

 days running, it tried to bring away to a safer place, until it 

 was caught in one of the traps set for the purpose. Those 

 who care about craniology as indicative of mental faculties, 

 have, no doubt, already observed that the region of cautious- 

 ness is marked in the skull of the fox by a very large pro- 

 tuberance; and I can testify that a fox will, even in winter, 

 save half a hare towards the night to come. In my youth, one 

 morning, after a night during which there had been a 

 moderate fall of snow, I hit upon the track of an old hare 

 accompanied by that of a fox. I followed them in the open 

 field for about an English mile, when I came to the spot 

 where the hare had been killed, and partly devoured ; but. ob- 

 serving in the continuation of the fox's track that something- 

 had been dragged, I had the curiosity to follow it farther, 

 and, at the distance of a few hundred paces, found the pos- 

 terior half of the hare, in excellent condition, buried in the 

 snow under a little bush. I confess the hare was so well 

 carved, that I had no objection to partaking of Mr. Reynard's 

 fare, preferring, at dinner, 



" No doubt, 



A rogue with venison to a saint without." 



On the other hand, the fox, like most cunning persons who 

 show great activity in executing their plots, sometimes be- 

 trays a great want of good sense, and is essentially averse to 

 honest labour. The same animal which, by some of its- 

 wicked wiles, drives the badger out of its snug lodgings, and, 

 always disinclined to dig its own burrow, will sometimes 



* There is evidently something more in this relation than is conveyed 

 by Dr. Weissenborn's English translation. — Ed. 



