340 



PRE DAT I ON 



TABLE 41. 



PROPORTION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD IN FOX DROPPINGS 

 EXAMINED BY THE INVESTIGATION— 1930-1942 



been found. The fox seems to have a definite aversion for shrews, although they have been 

 fully as abundant as the woods mice at least. 



Other mammals eaten have been primarily the gray squirrel, red squirrel, chipmunk and 

 woodchuck. Of interest is the occasional occurrence of other predators such as weasel, skunk, 

 raccoon, opossum and house cat. 



Analysis of the dropping material brought out a significant correlation during the fall and 

 winter of 1935-36 between the irruptive abundance of gray squirrels and the frequency with 

 which they were eaten by this animal. The same was true to a lesser degree of red squirrels. 

 There seems to be a tendency for rabbits to be taken less during the summer than at other 

 seasons and for such species as the squirrels, woodchuck and small birds to be tJiken more. 



Grouse make up a comparatively small part of Reynard's diet, although they have been 

 taken more often in the Adirondacks than elsewhere. Both adults and chicks have been re- 

 corded but in only one instance was an egg shell identified. This empha.-iizes the inadequacy 

 of food habits studies of this kind with respect to certain types of predation, since fo.xes have 

 been found to be by far the greatest destroyers of grouse nests*. 



FOX DROPPING CONTAINING GRt)USE IK AT HER KKMAINS 



The low incidence of grouse in the diet of this animal as compared with that of small 

 mammals has also been shown by a number of other studies. Hamilton"' reported three in 

 206 red fox stomachs mainly from New York and one in 66 specimens from New England. 

 Similarly English and Heimett in Pennsylvania found it to have been taken by 3.7 per cent 

 of red foxes"" and 3.4 per cent of the grays" which they examined. 



• Src fliacuttion of Appraitjil of Ific Vllrioui Species During ifie NeBl Period, p. 334. 



