THE LIFE OF A FOX. 145

up my quarters on one of the highest parts of
the Cheviot Hills, hoping to find a safe retreat
from them. There are, however, dangers to be
dreaded there, as well as in every country where
hounds are not kept to hunt us: but the system
of destruction to be dreaded by me is one that
1s adopted on mountainous parts alone. The
shepherds of the mountains, on certain days,
gather together against us, armed with guns,
and aided by dogs of all sorts, from the grey-
hound to the colly. The sagacity and docility
of the latter are very astonishing; but the saga-
city of an old dog of the fox-hound sort is
superior to that of every other. The colly dog:
is taught by man what to do, whilst the old
fox-hound teaches his master. Had it not. been
for the sagacity of the hound, I should have
been spared many a perilous run. The shep-
herds pretend that the breed of the mountain
fox is of a different kind from our own, and that
the head of the male is larger. For my own part,
I believe the animals to be of the same kind as
ourselves, and to be merely larger altogether ;

H