^52 THE ^O-t. 



When overtaken, he becomes obstinately c^esperatcf^ 

 and bravely defends himself against tlie teeth of his 

 adversaries even to the last gasp *. 



Dr. Goldsmith relates a remarkable instance of 

 the parental affection of this animal, which he says 

 occurred near Chelmsford. A She-Fox that had, as 

 it should seem, but one cub, was unkennelled by a 

 gentleman's Hounds^ and hotly pursued. The 

 poor animal, braving every danger rather than 

 leave her cub behind to be worried by the Dogs, 

 took it up in her mouth, and ran with it in this 

 manner for some miles. At last, taking her way 

 through a firmer's yard, she was assaulted by a 

 Mastiil'; and was at length obliged to drop her cub, 

 which was taken up by the farmer. And we are 

 happy to add, that the affectionate creature escaped 

 the pursuit, and got off in safety -J^. — A female Fox 

 was hunted near St. Ives, during three quarters of 

 an hour, with a cub, about a fortnight old, all the 

 time in her mouth, which she was at length com- 

 pelled to leave to the ferocity of her pursuers;}:. — It 

 is not, however, by Hounds alone that this sagacious 

 unimal is destroyed : 



The plunder'd warrenev full many a wile 



Devises, to entrap his greedy foe 



Fat with nocturnal spoils. At close of day. 



With silence drags his trail : then from the ground 



Pares thin the close-graz'd turf ; there with nice Iiand 



Covers the latent death, vv^ith curious springs 



Prepar'd to fly at once, whene'er the tread 



— . . ■< 



* Church. t Coldsmith, iii. ,^30- J J);iJiipI, i. lG9. 



