THE FOX. 



them at length to forfake their combs, and leave them to him as the reward 

 of his victory (a). 



The Fox enjoys the fenfe of fmelling with more acutenefs than the 

 Wolf, and the organs of his voice are moll; flexible and perfect: he ye]ps, 

 barks, and often utters a mournful cry like the Peacock. During the winter 

 feafon, and more efpecially in frofty weather, he is continually yelping, but 

 is almoft entirely lilent in fummer, at which time he Iheds his hair. He 

 ileeps very found, and lies in a round pofition like a Dog ; but when he only 

 wants to reft himfelf, he lies flat on his belly with his legs ftretched out, and 

 in this pofture watches for birds, who no fooner perceive him than they fet up 

 Ihrill, difcordant cries, to warn their companions of his prefence. Magpies and 

 Jays are particularly obferved to give this kind of alarm at his approach, and 

 they will even follow him a conliderable way, conftantly repeating their 

 cries(B). The hunters know this facl, and avail themfeives of it, to difcover 

 where their game is concealed. 



The female Fox brings forth from four to fix young ones every year; the 

 goes with young about fix weeks, during which time Ihe feldom ftirs out, but 

 bufies herfelf in preparing a proper bed for them, and making it as fecure as 

 poffible. If flie finds they have been difturbed in her abfence, flie removes 

 them, one by one, to a place of greater fecurity. Dr. Goldfmith(c) 

 relates a remarkable inftance of this animal's parental affection, which he 

 fays happened near Chelmsford in Efiex. " A the Fox that had, as it fliould 

 feem, but one cub, was unkennelled by a gentleman's Hounds, and hotly 

 purfued. In lueh a cafe, when her own life was in imminent peril, 

 one would think that it was not a time to confult the fafety of her young ; 

 however, the poor animal, braving every danger, rather than leave her cub 

 behind to be worried by the Dogs, took it up in her mouth, and ran with it 

 in this manner for fome miles. At laft, taking her way through a farmer's 

 yard, flie was aflaulted by a MaftifF, and at length obliged to drop her cub, 

 which was taken up by the farmer." We are happy to add, that this 

 affe&ionate creature efcaped the purfuit, and at laft got off in fafety. 



(a) Buffon. (b) Buffon. (c) Goldfmith's Hill. Vol. III. p. 330, 



