Page:Hunting and trapping stories; a book for boys (IA huntingtrappings00pric).pdf/103

 does most of its hunting in the night and sleeps all day, except when it is rudely disturbed by the hounds.

The cubs are the prettiest little things in the world and wonderfully playful. They scamper about and roll each other over and over like kittens.

The fox will always slink away from its enemies when it can, but if it gets cornered where it has to fight it will snap viciously.

The vixen, especially if she has cubs, will fight for them with the greatest pluck. There is no wild animal in England large enough to tackle a fox so that it is not often called upon to defend its family. The fox has always been held by the English country folks to be the shrewdest and cleverest of all animals and not without reason, for once in a while one will get itself out of a tight place where escape seemed to be impossible.