Fox-Hunting 305 



public roads, with horns to blow at the stages, 

 they came likewise to be known as tallyho 

 coaches, and later as simply tallyhos. 



Dogs will not trail a she fox while she 

 carries young. She foxes are properly vixens. 

 Like mother possums, they have no tolerance 

 for their mates in the den while the cubs are 

 very small, though after a fortnight or so the 

 mate is welcome, and does his full share of 

 the feeding. Sometimes there are but two 

 cubs in a litter ; occasionally there are six. 

 They are pretty creatures, sleek and dark, 

 with spots all over their velvet coats, not 

 lighter, but looking as though the velvet had 

 been crushed so as to throw back the light at 

 a different angle. The den is usually among 

 rocks — any dry small cave, but a big hollow 

 tree convenient to good feeding-ground is a 

 great temptation. Foxes will kill and carry 

 off young pigs, young lambs, and even attack 

 a very young calf, — this, however, in the 

 event of game becoming scarce. Rabbits, 

 and every sort of bird, especially game birds, 

 are very much more to their mind. 



They also eat moles, mice, and such small 

 deer, besides nuts, berries, grapes, and even 

 grain. Captive they grow very fond of corn 

 bread, also of sweets, particularly honey. 

 Some woodsmen even say that they despoil 

 the bumblebee's grass-nest and suck the 



