AN EXTRAORDINARY COMBAT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 132, 22 September 1876, Page 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY COMBAT.

The .Giant's Causeway, says the Derry (Ireland) Standard, a short time since, was the scene of a combat of the most ex-, traordinary nature. Some carrion had been deposited on the. rocks near the sea, and a fox,- Jhe. intention of •making a meal off one or two ravens which had, been attracted to the spot by the putrid meat, curled himself up apparently asleep, close to the carrion. The ravens, however, regarded. him with suspicion for some time, and. finding that Reynard was not likely to sheer off, and probably unable longer to' .withstand the effects of what, to •them, was'a grateful and seduc:tive aroma,-' they,' by their threatening . attitudes, left, little doubt in the minds of •the numerous Spectators that-' they in-, tended to bring masters to an issue. The tiwo; old ravens "eventually advanced, and 'one of them took his stand at Reynard's head, and the other at his ta~l. -The latter led ;the,- : attack by assaulting-. Reynard's brush, the other immediately afterwards following suit-by 'a- powerful-tap on tlie KgacL Reynard feigned indifference to thesis . -polite attentions during a few rounds, trusting, no doubt, that his -persecutors wduld~b.ec£me emboldened 1 indiscreet, and, at the same timej" piad themselves within his reach. Indiscretion, -however, is not a prominent characteristic of the Corcus family, and, after a few more applications alternately . on-the" head and tail, the position became uncomfortable, and the fox began to show -fight;! but the ravens followed up result, first snapping at one end,-* then the other. • It is stated that the warfare" was carried on for more than two hours in this way, and on the whole, the balance was against the fox, which, in the words of our contemporary, " was much draggled and weakened, but become more reckless as the fight waxed hotter. At this juncture thej had worked or fought up to the edge of the rock on which the carrion had been deposited. The raven at the enemy's tail again tickled him, and after doing so, the one at the head gave Mm a fearful pinch, upon which the fox turned upon with great fury. - The one at the tail again performed, and during the passage of the ; fox after the other raven, gave, him a sound outward thud,', accelerating his speed so muoh that he- lost his balancJ and tumbled headlonginto the wateß amid the plaudits of the spectators anal the exulting croaks of the ravens." 1