THE FOX. 



87 



the hound, suggests, in a measure, the explanation of 

 the wonderful faculty that all dogs in a degree possess 

 to track an animal by the scent of the foot alone. Did 

 you ever think why a dog's nose is always wet ? Ex- 

 amine the nose of a fox-hound, for instance ; how very 

 moist and sensitive! Cause this moisture to dry up, 

 and the dog would be as powerless to track an animal 

 as you are ! The nose of the cat, you may observe, is 

 but a little moist, and, as you know, her sense of smell 

 is far inferior to that of the dog. Moisten your own 

 nostrils and lips, and this sense is plainly sharpened. 

 The sweat of a dog's nose, therefore, is no doubt a vital 

 element in its power, and, without taking a very long 

 logical stride, we may infer how a damp, rough surface 

 aids him in tracking game. 



A fox-hunt in this country is, of course, quite a dif- 

 ferent thing from what it is in England, where all the 

 squires and noblemen of a borough, superbly mounted, 

 go riding over the country, guided by the yelling 

 hounds, till the fox is literally run down and murdered. 

 Here the hunter prefers a rough, mountainous country, 

 and, as probably most persons know, takes advantage 

 of the disposition of the fox, when pursued by the 

 hound, to play or circle around a ridge or bold point, 

 and, taking his stand near the run-way, shoots him 

 down. 



I recently had the pleasure of a turn with some ex- 

 perienced hunters. As we ascended the ridge toward 

 the mountain, keeping in our ears the uncertain baying 



