That always entertaining writer about birds and animals, J. G. Wood, has a pleasant paper on "Foxes" in the _Child's Pictorial_. The author of "Homes without Hands" says:-- Many foxes have been known to climb trees, and hide among the branches, where no dog could smell them. Only a few months before these lines were written, the East Kent foxhounds met near Dover. The master of the hunt had been told that foxes had been seen to run up a tree, which was pointed out. A man was sent up the tree, and out came a fox, which was hidden among some ivy about twenty feet from the ground. The animal was chased, but after a while the scent failed and the fox escaped. The hunt then returned to the tree, and again sent a man up it. Presently a second fox came tumbling out of the ivy, but mistook his distance, and jumped into the middle of the hounds, which tore it to pieces before it could recover from the fall. The man continued to search the tree, and a third fox leaped out, and was killed close to the South Foreland. In December, 1885, a fox was found near Oswestry, and after being chased for some time, it ran up a tree, to the height of at least forty feet, and hid itself among the ivy with which the tree was clothed. It was soon turned out of its shelter, and, after running for about half an hour, got away from the hounds, probably by some equally clever trick. There are foxes known which have been hunted for several seasons and never taken; and those who have seen them run, say that the animals do not seem in the least afraid of the hounds, but trot on quite gently for some time, knowing that, in the end, they will give their enemies the slip. Mr. Webster relates an amusing story about a cunning old American fox. It had been chased over and over again, and always escaped near the same place, namely, a wooden fence outside a plantation, which led into a thick forest. Hounds were brought from great distances in order to catch this fox, but never succeeded. The fox always made its bed in the middle of a large field, and did not try to hide, but gave the hounds a good run, and then disappeared at the fence. Now, in America there are no hedges, the fields being divided by railed fences. Westward, where wood is almost valueless, the "snake" fence is used, but in the more cultivated parts the fence is made by fixing two strong stakes in the ground, so as to cross each other like the letter X, and nailing them together where they cross. Long poles are then laid on the crossed stakes, so that the fence can be made to any height which is most convenient, the poles being seldom nailed, but held in their place by their own weight.