. Birds and nature . ing hischance strikes wildly with his hoe-handle for Reynards head, which isscarcely distinguishable in the maze oflegsand bodies. The blow descends, butalas! a sudden movement of the hairymass brings the fierce stroke uponthe faithful dog, who with a wild howlrelaxes his grasp and rolls with bruisedand bleeding head, faint and powerlesson the hillside. Reynard takes advan-tage of the turn affairs have assumed,and before the gun, which had beenlaid aside on the grass some hoursbefore, can be reached he disappearsover the crest of the hill. Hallock says that an old she-Foxw
. Birds and nature . ing hischance strikes wildly with his hoe-handle for Reynards head, which isscarcely distinguishable in the maze oflegsand bodies. The blow descends, butalas! a sudden movement of the hairymass brings the fierce stroke uponthe faithful dog, who with a wild howlrelaxes his grasp and rolls with bruisedand bleeding head, faint and powerlesson the hillside. Reynard takes advan-tage of the turn affairs have assumed,and before the gun, which had beenlaid aside on the grass some hoursbefore, can be reached he disappearsover the crest of the hill. Hallock says that an old she-Foxwith young, to supply them with food,will soon deplete the hen-roost anddestroy both old and great numbers ofvery young chickens. They generallytravel by night, follow regular nms,and are exceedingly shy of any inven-tion for their capture, and the use oftraps is almost futile. If caught in atrap, they will gnaw off the capturedfoot and escape, in which respect theyfully support their ancient reputationfor cunning. 74. MISCELLANY. Rural Bird Life in India.—■ Nothing gives more delight, writesMr. Caine, in traveling throughrural India than the bird-life thatabounds everywhere ; absolutely un-molested, th^y are as tame as a poultryyard, making the country one vastaviary. Yellow-beaked Minas, Ring-doves, Jays, Hoopoes, and Parrots takedust baths with the merry Palm-squirrel in the roadway, hardlytroubling themselves to hop out of theway of the heavy bull-carts; everywayside pond and lake is alive withDucks, Wild Geese, Flamingoes,Pelitans, and waders of every size andsort, from dainty red-legged beautiesthe size of Pigeons up to the greatunwieldy Cranes and Adjutants fivefeet high. We pass a dead Sheep withtwo loathsome vultures picking overthe carcass, and presently a brood offluffy young Partridges with fatherand mother in charge look at us fear-lessly within ten feet of *our whirlingcarriage. Every village has itsflockof sacred Peacocks pacing gravelythrough the surrounding
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