LITTLE BEASTS OF FIELD AND WOOD 



ing well up into the tree; and the hunters told 

 me that to all appearances the fox had not taken 

 refuge there from the dogs, but had gone in of 

 his own accord, probably intending to pass the 

 day there. I once noticed a peculiar-looking 

 dark-coloured ball five or six inches in diameter 

 near the entrance of a fox burrow, and at first 

 was at a loss as to its make-up. But on being 

 knocked to pieces, it proved to consist of a num- 

 ber of small animals rolled together so com- 

 pactly as to be indistinguishable at first glance. 

 I cannot recall exactly the kinds or number of 

 creatures of which it was composed, but I know 

 that there were a star-nosed mole, a long-tailed 

 jumping-mouse, several meadow-mice, and, I 

 think, a shrew, besides a black-and-white creep- 

 ing warbler and two or three half-fledged birds 

 evidently belonging to the same family, some 

 bits of rabbit tur, and a toad. The young foxes 

 had evidently been rolling it about in sport, and 

 it certainly indicated an abundance of food at 



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