242 XATURAL HISTURY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



Biographical notes. — The lied Fox of the north is a much htiDdsomer animal than its southern 

 representative owing to its heavier and richer fur and somewhat larger size. Its range covers the 

 entire mainland of the Territory and extends over all of the Aleutian and other islands of the 

 Territory with the exce])tion of the Fur Seal group. It is common on Kadiak Island and on the 

 mainland is one of the commonest fur-bearing mammals north to the extreme Arctic shore line in 

 about 71° of latitude. In the extreme north, however, it is less abundant than elsewhere. 



Eeynard in the north enjoys a reputation for far-seeing cunning fully as great as he has in the 

 southern part of his range, and he needs all of his sagacity there, since he is hunted fiom the 

 opening of winter until the strong sunlight in April spoils the value of his fur. 



When traveling over the snowy tundra in winter I have frequently seen solitary Red Foxes 

 skurryiug away in the distance and sometimes have found one crouching behind a tussock or other 

 place of concealment watching us with cunning eyes as we passed. They will rarely permit a 

 person to approach within rifle-shot of them. 



During fairly mild winters, when mice, lemmings, and other sources of food supply are open 

 to them, only a comparatively light catch of Red Fox skins are taken, but during cold, snowy 

 seasons, their ordinary food supply being reduced, they are forced by starvation to i)ick up the 

 bait about the traps, and in consequence many more skins are secured in such a season than daring 

 an open winter. 



The Eskimo make use of steel traps and also used, formerly, the coiled whalebone described 

 above as employed for the wolf. 



' In summer the breeding water-fowl furnish an abundant food supply and in winter dead fish 

 or anything else that may be secured is welcomed. 



The Russian fur traders claim that these foxes lay up a supply of eggs for winter use. This idea 

 is based on the fact that the foxes are sometimes found eating old eggs on the marshes in winter, 

 but in the instances where I found them doing this the eggs had been found in old nests and dug 

 from under the snow by the hungry animals. 



I found that during April and May many of the foxes lost all of the hair from the rump and 

 thighs. This was a mystery until I noted that although the sun was shining brightly and thawing 

 the snow a little directly under its rays, yet in the shade it was freezing. The foxes have the 

 habit of sitting on the ice or snow banks at this season, and while doing this their hair freezes 

 fast so that each time they get up they leave some of their fur behind. This is repeated until the 

 skin is uncovered and, iu many cases, becomes sore. 



The strong sunlight in April bleaches their hair and renders it brittle and valueless for com- 

 mercial puriioses. 



These foxes sometimes go out to sea on the ice in spring iu search of food, but they prefer the 

 shore. In trade, one skin of the Red Fox is reckoned to have equal value with two skins of the 

 White or mainland Blue Foxes, The fox has its place in the Eskimo mythology like most other 

 Alaskan animals. 



VuLPES FULVUS DECUSSATUS (Desmarcst). Cross Fox (Esk. Llhd-jik). 



The range of the Cross Fox in Alaska is almost identical with that of the Red Fox, extending 

 over the Aleutian Islands, the peninsula of Aliaska, Kadiak Island, and all the mainland except, 

 perhaps, the extreme northern point of the latter, although I have seen skins brought from close 

 to the 70th degree of latitude. 



Among the fur traders a Cross Fox skin is reckoned equal in value to two Red Fox skins. 

 Among the large number of foxskins brought into Saint Michaels during my residence there, 

 examples were seen presenting almost a perfect gradation between the typical Red and the Black 

 Fox, and in several instances the traders were puzzled )iow to class a skin. 



The Cross Fox is far less common than the Red, occurring iu most of the districts in the pro- 

 portion of about one to seventy -five or one hundred. In others it is less common, while in a few 

 localities it is more abundant than the other species. Its habits are identical with those of the Red 

 Fox. 



