Fox -Ways. 13 



than a robin. Several were missing from tlie brood. 

 He hunted about, and presently found five more just 

 killed. They were beautifully laid out, the bodies at 

 a broad angle, the necks crossing each other, like the 

 corner of a corn-cob house, in such a way that, by 

 gripping the necks at the angle, all the chicks could 

 be carried at once, half hanging at either side of the 

 fox's mouth. Since then I have seen an old fox with 

 what looked like a dozen or more field-mice carried 

 in this way; only, of course, the tails were crossed 

 corn-cob fashion instead of the necks. 



The stealthiness with which a fox stalks his game 

 is one of the most remarkable things about him. 

 Stupid chickens are not the only birds captured. 

 Once I read in the snow the story of his hunt after 

 a crow — wary game to be caught napping! The 

 tracks showed that quite a flock of crows had been 

 walking about an old field, bordered by pine and 

 birch thickets. From the rock where he was sleep- 

 ing away the afternoon the fox saw or heard them, 

 and crept down. How cautious he was about it ! 

 Following the tracks, one could almost see him steal- 

 ing along from stone to bush, from bush to grass 

 clump, so low that his body pushed a deep trail in 

 the snow, till he reached the cover of a low pine on 

 the very edge of the field. There he crouched with 

 all four feet close together under him. Then a crow 



