110 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



ing at them it is easy to account for his mar- 

 vellous powers of endurance. That easy jog- 

 trot, by reason of its very buoyancy, conveys 

 but little notion of the actual speed. As the 

 Fox floats along, his brush lends itself to the 

 delusion, the close thick fur concealing the in- 

 tense muscular play beneath. His speed can 

 only be judged by comparison. 



One day in winter, as I listened to the baying 

 of the hounds among the crags, a fine dog-fox 

 leaped lightly over the fence within a few feet 

 of where I stood. A fast cur bitch ran him 

 through a long meadow, but only kept pace for 

 a few strides, the Fox out-distancing her with 

 contemptuous ease. The race opened my eyes, 

 for the bitch ran like a rough-coated grey- 

 hound, and was " Fleet " both by name and 

 nature. 



Like many wild creatures, Foxes have well- 

 defined routes, seeking their food morning and 

 evening. A curious fact, and one perhaps 

 hitherto unrecorded, is that, when foraging, 

 reynard's whereabouts is often made apparent 

 by carrion-crows and other birds that noisily 

 pursue him high overhead until he secretes 

 himself. In mountain districts his fare is often 



