g2 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

had already come without passing by his ambush, one within
twenty yards of nim; but he made no movement beyond
crouching still more flatly to the ground. Presently two came
directly towards him, and though he did not venture to look
up, I saw, by an involuntary motion of his ear, that those
quick organs had already warned him of their approach,
The two hares came through the gap together and the fox,
springing with the quickness of lightning, caught one and
killed her immediately; he then lifted up his booty and was
carrying it off, when my rifle-ball stopped his course.”

A Fox Hunt. Captain Brown tells an amusing story of the
resource shown by a fox who was hard pressed near
Tamary, Ireland, which is as follows. “After a short chase,
Reynard disappeared, having cunningly mounted a turf stack,
on the top of which he lay down flat. Finding himself, at
last, perceived by one of the hounds, he left his retreat,
closely pursued by the pack, ran up a stone wall, from which
he sprang on the roof of an adjoining cabin, and mounted
to the chimney-top. From that elevated situation he looked
all around him, as if carefully reconnoitring the coming
enemy. A cunning old hound approached, and, having
gained the summit of the roof, had already seized the fox
in imagination, when, lo! Reynard dropped down the chimney,
like a fallen star into a draw-well. The dog looked wist-
fully down the dark opening, but dared not pursue the fugitive.
Meantime, whilst the hound was eagerly inspecting the
smoky orifice of the chimney, Reynard, half enrobed in soot,
had fallen into the lap of an old woman, who, surrounded
by a number of children, was gravely smoking her pipe, not
at all expecting the entrance of this abrupt visitor. ‘ Emiladh
deouil!’ said the affrighted female, as she threw from her
the black and red quadruped: Reynard grinned, growled,
and showed his fangs; and when the sportsmen, who had
secured the door, entered, they found him in possession of
the kitchen, the old woman and the children having retired,