Mrs F--gave me the following account of the ingenious stratagem of a
fox, witnessed by a friend.
He was lying one summer's day under the shelter of some shrubs on the
banks of the Tweed, when his attention was attracted by the cries of
wild-fowl, accompanied by a great deal of fluttering and splashing. On
looking round, he perceived a large brood of ducks, which had been
disturbed by the drifting of a fir branch among them. After circling in
the air for a little time, they again settled down on their
feeding-ground.
Two or three minutes elapsed, when the same event again occurred. A
branch drifted down with the stream into the midst of the ducks, and
startled them from their repast. Once more they rose upon the wing,
clamouring loudly, but when the harmless bough had drifted by, settled
themselves down upon the water as before. This occurred so frequently,
that at last they scarcely troubled themselves to flutter out of the
way, even when about to be touched by the drifting bough.
The gentleman, meantime, marking the regular intervals at which the fir
branches succeeded each other in the same track, looked for a cause, and
perceived, at length, higher up the bank of the stream, a fox, which,
having evidently sent them adrift, was eagerly watching their progress
and the effect they produced. Satisfied with the result, cunning
Reynard at last selected a larger branch of spruce-fir than usual, and
couching himself down on it, set it adrift as he had done the others.
The birds, now well trained to indifference, scarcely moved till he was
in the midst of them, when, making rapid snaps right and left, he
secured two fine young ducks as his prey, and floated forward
triumphantly on his raft; while the surviving fowls, clamouring in
terror, took to flight, and returned no more to the spot.