Star.
London, England, 1828-05-30 00:00:00

DUMFRIES, MAY 27.

A Fox-Cus SUCKLED ay A CAT.—This phenomeeori
as it may well be termed, has been realized at Kirkland,
in this neighbourhood, under circumstances which will
justify a little detail : In tie beginning of last month,
Mr. M•Turk (whose farm includes eve-y *variety of stir.
face, and. is one of the most extensive in this part of
the country,) was teased thy after day with the report
of lambs worried or missing. Every mPrning brought
its list of casualties, and it was plain that ."Cod Low,
tie," if unobstructed, was determined to claim a tithe
of the whole lambs, by descending like the warlike
clansmen of old, from the subterranean fortress on the
hill. mto harry and ravage the plains below. In the
circumstances, and with the view of storming the one.
my's camp, Mr. MeTurk armed his people with gnus;
ascended the Kirkland hill, and after beating very cares
fully acres of furze and other cover, started no fewer
than four foxes, within an area of less than a hundred
yards. The whole of these were instantly fired at, bur
as Reynard carries away a good shot, wily one of them
was killed on the spot. The set as well as the appear.
ance of the slain led to the conclusion that she had cabs
in the whirrs; yet though a long and diligent search
ensued, not one of these could be discovered. Four
days thereafter. the party returned to the same spot,
and while wading through and exploring some of the
tallest furze we ever saw, overheard a faint cry or
squeak, that immediately put them on the right scat.
Alter a little time they came upon a cub, which in itv
efforts to escape had fallen into a ditch ; and a little
farther in discovered such a dwelling as foxes excavate,
divided into different low compartments, anchhiely
tools kable for the number of its passages out and in.
In the interior were found other three whelps, all
males, and all dead—having received no nouridefneati
for the space of four days. The ne-t, however, was well
filled with provision for the dam, and besides the cars
case of a 'worried lamb, contained fragments of lama
rats, hedgehogs, &c. The cub, when first discovered,
was found alive, though on the point of dying; and 2i
it happens to be a male oi.e, it is nor improbable that
hat circumstance enabled it to outlive its hapless sisters.
It was conveyed to Kirkland, and by way of expert.
oseut, placed beside a cat, whose kittens had been re.
mooed an hour or two before. In a very short time
the cat took to her strange nursling, and soon became
as fond of it as if her own offspring. In this way Fosy's
life was saves, and he is now such a fine thriving fel-
low, that nobody would imagine that his infancy had
been so full of hardship and privation. Already he has
a keen eye to the chickens; but this, of course, is guile
in the way of the animal's instincts; for as Jamie Thorn-
son, the Kenleith poet, says,

" Nature still will nature be,
While burnies rin, or grows a tree."
Foses are not remarkable for gratitude; and, if the cub
in question is kept much lon!,ter at Kirkland, we would
not be at all surprised to hear that he had breakfasted
on the chickens, dined on the goslings, and, to crown
all, supped on his nut se—a grimalkin, we may safely
say, in a thousand, for symmetry, sleekness, activil.
and size. But for these and other possible evils, Mr.
M'Turk has a remedy in his own hands. Afore than
one Gentleman in Annandale are so fond of foxes, t:at
they wish the breed to increase and multiply, aid in
these circumstances his master has only to cut a he
,speckle ilk in his ears, and set him adrift in that quarter.
When the time comes round for scouring over hill and
dale, and witching the world with noble hovemanship,
he will have waxed in stature by worrying hogs, in z•
country famous for its foraying exploits, and may be
the first of his race to solve a problem worthy of a ni:te
in the " Sporting Magazine —namely, whether cats
Milk, and some acquaintance with the comforts of ci-
vilization, take from, or add to, the natural mettle of
Reynard's heels?
Early yesterday morning, Andrew Wilson, Who his
long followed the laborious occupation of a waternio,
was found drowned in the /slith, nearly opposite to :i,!e
" Doctor's Well." On Sunday evening he left his place
of residence, Flesh-market-street, with the intenticr,ci
taking a walk. As he tarried rather long, his farellf
became uneasy, and inquired for him every
no purpose. When day-light dawned, his fate vas
discovered, and it is generally supposed that while Was'
dering by himself on the river side, he had missed hts
footing and fallen over the high parapet wall.
Su• annals Bloxham, wife of R. Bloxham, a poor in°
of Dedington, with eight children, was delivered ea
Tuesday morning of' a male child, and the Tuesdaf
morning followi'.g of two more, who have since bern
1
baptized by the names of Shem, Ham, and 0611'
The mother and children are doing well. where to

Wednesday morning a Paddington stage was upset 00
----
turning the corner of Fore-street, in the City, and oh'
of the Passengers was most seriously injured, ha''
broken his thigh, and received a severe concussion
the head.
---------

DIED.
The 115c1 inst. Miss Grant, eikle*t aibter of the Right 11on• Cbarki
Grant.

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