The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-04-30
Instinct Of Animals.


Mr. Mudic. the writer Of the article Fox,
in Partirgtou's Cyclopedia, relates, from his
personal kno@ltdge the following pnrlicu-
lars; One morning. carly, a man in the
north was going to his work. through furze
bushes, on a common, and came upon iox,
stretched out at full length, under the side Of
ono of the lushes. The fox was drawn by
the tail, and swung right and left and then
laid on the ground, but not symptom OF
moi6h or life did he show. The man. new
er doubling that Reynard had gone the way
of all foxes, and nothing 10th TO add fox
skin cap to the list of his personal gnrniture.
and the brush to the tail of a peacock feaih
cr, and other ornamental trophies over the
little looking glass that stood inclined from
the wall Of his cottage, took The animal by
the tail and swung it over one shoulder,
at the same time placing his maiiock on the
other TO keep up the balance; and having
done so, onward lie trudged 10 mend the
high road The animal had counie'feited
death to admiration, and he did rot mind
being carried in the manner Of dead fox /;
but he had no inclination to undergo that
species OF dissection which the poin, of the
mattock was ever and anon giving TO his
ribs; so at last he gave the decisive snap
which is the characteristic. bite of foxes
The man felt that something was the matter,
but knew not very well what so throwing
the fox and mattock {. ON him, he turned
round 10 face Iii, foe, whoever he might be,
and in turning, he espied his dead fox, at
at the distance OF full fifty yards, making
for Tie brake with all Imaginable speed.
Which came within the personal knowledge
of the writer Of this article, because it throws
sont light ON tie mode OF action Of the fox.
The parsonage Of Klhiorac, in Inverness
shire, is situated in highly romarlic spot
and the clergyman of kilm5fac was man
of great laste and very lospitahlc. A well
stocked poultry yard is an essential requisite
in such cases but the foxes were so numer-
ons, and then covers so near, that poultry
yard was out Of The question. y poutry
house was thus requisite, and the reverend
doctor prided binIself not a little In having
constructed one which was completely fox.
proof. and for good many years il had beer
impregnablc. "A friend of ours had spent
a night in this romantic and o,pitable a
bode. and while fres, salmon from the Bau
lay formed one article for TIE breakfast ia
BILE, new laid eggs from the stronghold o
the hens, were of course to form another
The purveyor Of these articles took the Ike,
and marched off, basket in hand, to brin,
tie supply but when she opened the door
a scene of the most direiul havoc presente,
itself Every perch and every nesl no,
was bedabbled with blood; dead hens lay il
dozens on the floor, and III the middle was
iull-sized fox stretched out at full length. an
apparently a sharer in the common mofia
ity. The mail never doubted the death
the fox, but attributed it to 2ilIe,ent caus,
. namely. that he hal so gorged himself o
tue poultry that he had burst. Here wei
three causes TO rouse the mingled wrath an
contempt of the servant : and after son
!, exclamaions, she took him by the tail an
swung him with all her might into the receI
:acle in which were accumulated the regu
sites for garden coIupost. The fox fell sal
Ia and rcsp aonin snnpIilv un1 srou,nI