FOXES 



there was one in the vicinity. Most of them 

 claimed to have seen it ; and several to have shot 

 at it, yet none of them succeeded in bagging it ; 

 and after two seasons of such rumours it ceased 

 to be talked about, probably having been driven 

 out of the region. 



It seems remarkable that one fox should have 

 been seen so frequently, yet most of the accounts 

 appeared trustworthy enough ; and I myself, on 

 two occasions, the first winter saw a fox that 

 certainly looked quite black. It seems hardly 

 likely that there should have been more than one 

 black fox in the neighbourhood at the time ; 

 unless, perhaps, they are in the habit of roaming 

 about over the country together, attracted by their 

 similarity of colouring. 



Or if, as is said to be the case in most instances, 

 they were born of red parents, there may have 

 been several reared in this part of the country at 

 that time, just as black lambs appear for some 

 inexplicable cause among the flocks of a certain 

 4 49 



