CANID^. 227 



of his greyhounds being often, on such occasions, put 

 to a severe test. We have also seen Foxes taken in old 

 straw or stubble-ricks, near unfrequented farmsteads ; 

 and have even known the female breed and rear her 

 young ones in such a place. But these haunts are not 

 usual, the Foxes which frequent them being reputed by 

 foxhunters old individuals which have retired to quiet 

 country quarters, and as being possessed of more than 

 ordinary cunning. 



Our late kind friend and correspondent Mr. Hogg, to 

 whom we have been indebted for much interesting informa- 

 tion on the habits of many of our indigenous animals, 

 writes thus : — " I remember once when out hunting, the 

 Hounds found a Fox who did not leave the cover, but kept 

 running from one part of it to another. Just as a Hound 

 was about to seize him, he jumped over the Dog, and 

 thus saved himself. This tedious sport was kept up for 

 a long time, till Reynard being thoroughly tired with 

 so many leaps and so many enemies, at last fell a prey 

 to them. The huntsman on taking him up found that 

 he had lost one of his forelegs. The cover being entirely 

 of furze, and not large, I could see all sides of him 

 during this hunt, and was much pleased with the many 

 elegant and quick leaps which the poor three-legged Fox 

 made to save himself from destruction, 



" The young are very active ; and I have seen them 

 occasionally at play on a summer's evening, jumping over 

 their dam and each other, and running after their brushes. 

 They have a short stifled bark." Mr. James states, " We 

 have ourselves observed the playfulness of young Foxes, 

 and may here observe that they can be watched without 

 giving them the least alarm, if the observer be elevated 

 only a few feet from the ground. Seated in the top of 

 a pollard ash, we have watched for an hour at a time, 



