Part 26

Field-vole, and carrion crow, 165 ----, and fox, 164 ----, and kestrel, 148, 149 ----, and owl, 144, 145, 157, 167, 175 ----, and weasel, 137, 140 ----, avoiding rabbit's "creeps," 160 ----, enemies of, 164 ----, food of, 137, 142, 143, 154, 155 ----, hibernation of, 145, 146, 150 ----, home of, 149 ----, limbs of, cramped by winter sleep, 153 ----, restlessness of, in spring, 157

Field-voles, described, 162 ----, harvesting seeds, 141, 142 ----, plague of, 173, 174 ----, stung to death by adder, 172

Fox, see also Vixen ----, and hedgehog, 382-384 ----, and moorhen, 400 ----, and wasp, 229 ----, avoiding traps, 236 ----, burying rat, 184 ----, careful not to sleep on straight trail, 237 ----, careful not to tread on rustling leaves, 220 ----, entering "breeding-earth" when close pressed, 191 ----, finding hen's nest in hedgerow, 182 ----, fight with rival, 227 ----, hating jays and magpies, 234 ----, knowledge of the countryside, 238, 428 ----, luring rabbits, 403 ----, methods of hunting rabbits, 180 ----, robbed of spoil by vixen, 183 ----, seeks mate, 225 ----, taught by mate, 227

Fox-cub, chased by lurcher, 222 ----, cleanly habits of, 212 ----, described, 203 ----, food of, 218, 235 ----, killing hare, 219 ----, killing polecat, 215, 216 ----, stealing chickens, 24

Fox-cubs and partridges, 211 ----, at play, 412, 422-426 ----, eagerness of, for flesh, 209

Foxes, method of preparing "breeding earth," 232

Fox-hound, "rioting" on cold scent, 189

Fox-hunt, 186-193

Frogs, devoured by otters, 35

Geese, wild, 31

Gipsy, seeking hedgehogs, 387-389

Hare, and renegade cat, 288 ----, and peregrine falcon, 265, 266 ----, and poacher, 276, 285, 286 ----, bravely defends young, 265 ----, covered with fur at birth, 245 ----, dislikes entering damp undergrowth, 274 ----, does not wander far in wet weather, 258 ----, food of, 248, 249, 251, 260 ----, "form" described, 245 ----, killed by lightning, 291 ----, "leaping places" of, 434 ----, method of fighting among males, 264 ----, netted by keeper, 255 ----, productiveness of, probably influenced by food supply, 276 ----, recklessness of, in early spring, 263 ----, running through flock of sheep, 283 ----, suffers from want of exercise, 259 ----, suffers less from frost than from rain, 260 ----, swims across river, 273 ----, winter habits of, 287 ----, withholds scent when hard pressed, 283

Hedgehog, and fox, 382-384 ----, and moorhens, 400, 401, 403-405 ----, and owl, 385 ----, and terrier, 388 ----, food of, 394, 395, 398, 399 ----, haunt of, 377 ----, killing snake, 396, 397 ----, nest of, 379, 389

History, vicissitudes of, affecting wild animals, 329

Hounds, miscellaneous pack, 54, 83

Hunt, rival, 60 ----, village, 77, 78, 83

Huntsman, feeding fox-cubs, 209

Ianto, the fisherman, 28, 30, 83, 429-442

Joker, the bob-tailed sheep-dog, 54, 55, 58-60

Kestrel, attacking field-voles, 148 ----, preying on bank-voles, 147

Man, dreaded by wild animals, 13, 40 ----, senses dulled by immunity from fear, 72

Mange, attacking carnivorous animals, 212

March, great changes to wild life in, 263

Minnows, playing about ledges of rock, 103

Moorhen, eluding terrier, 61 ----, killed by otter, 32

Mouse, singing, 82

Nature, haunted by Fear, 75 ----, spirit of restlessness in, 156

Night, described, 3, 85, 86 ----, spiritual influence of, 85 ---- -watching, difficulties of, 427 ---- - ----, methods of, 410