Birds and All Nature, Vol. 4, No. 3, September 1898: Illustrated by Color PhotographyVarious
History
Birds and All Nature, Vol. 4, No. 3, September 1898: Illustrated by Color Photography
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
Foxes live in holes of their own making, generally in the loamy soil
of a side hill, says an old Fox hunter, and the she-Fox bears four or
five cubs at a litter. When a fox-hole is discovered by the Farmers
they assemble and proceed to dig out the inmates who have lately, very
likely, been making havoc among the hen-roosts. An amusing incident,
he relates, which came under his observation a few years ago will
bear relating. A farmer discovered the lair of an old dog Fox by
means of his hound, who trailed the animal to his hole. This Fox had
been making large and nightly inroads into the poultry ranks of the
neighborhood, and had acquired great and unenviable notoriety on that
account. The farmer and two companions, armed with spades and hoes,
and accompanied by the faithful hound, started to dig out the Fox. The
hole was situated on the sandy slope of a hill, and after a laborious
and continued digging of four hours, Reynard was unearthed and he and
Rep, the dog, were soon engaged in deadly strife. The excitement had
waxed hot, and dog, men, and Fox were all struggling in a promiscuous
melee. Soon a burly farmer watching his chance strikes wildly with his
hoe-handle for Reynard's head, which is scarcely distinguishable in the
maze of legs and bodies. The blow descends, but alas! a sudden movement
of the hairy mass brings the fierce stroke upon the faithful dog, who
with a wild howl relaxes his grasp and rolls with bruised and bleeding
head, faint and powerless on the hillside. Reynard takes advantage of
the turn affairs have assumed, and before the gun, which had been laid
aside on the grass some hours before, can be reached he disappears over
the crest of the hill.
Hallock says that an old she-Fox with young, to supply them with food,
will soon deplete the hen-roost and destroy both old and great numbers
of very young chickens. They generally travel by night, follow regular
runs, and are exceedingly shy of any invention for their capture, and
the use of traps is almost futile. If caught in a trap, they will gnaw
off the captured foot and escape, in which respect they fully support
their ancient reputation for cunning.
[Illustration: From col. Chi. Acad. Sciences.
AMERICAN GRAY FOX.
1/6 Life-size.
Copyright by
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1898, Chicago.]
MISCELLANY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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