714 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



three short barks. In autumn, I have several times known a 

 Fox come at night around the camp-fire and 'yap' in the man- 

 ner of a Coyote. 



It seems to be a soHtary animal during the winter, but the 

 mating instinct is awakened in late February or early March, 

 and then the track in the snow is often doubled. Those who 

 in New England have followed it for miles at this interesting 

 period, tell me that all the chapters of romance are duly re- 

 corded in the snow — the pursuit, the coquetting, the conquest, 

 even the fight between rivals, are fully set forth in the tell-tale 

 white. 



These fights I have never witnessed among wild free Foxes, 

 but L. W. Walker, living in the Yellowstone Park, writes' that 

 there they are of daily occurrence in late winter, and the part 

 played by the tail is quite important. When the rivals ap- 

 proach each other with hostile intent, they stand sidewise with 

 the tail raised and pointing forward over the back, ready for 

 use as a parry or as a feint; dashing it in the eyes of his foe, 

 the Fox distracts attention or prevents him seeing for a mo- 

 ment, during which time he tries to gain some advantage. 



Thomas Anderson, of Fort Smith, Hudson Bay Post, tells 

 me of a curious occurrence that he witnessed at Poplar Lodge 

 River, on the east side of Nipigon Lake, early in March, 1896. 

 As he drove his dog-train around a point he came on a pair of 

 Foxes accouple. Supposing that he could easily secure both, 

 he set his dogs after them, but they turned their heads one way 

 and raced ofi^ side by side, allowing no stick or sapling to come 

 between them; and thanks partly to a slight crust, they left the 

 dogs far behind and escaped, without parting company. 



There can be little doubt that this Fox truly pairs. I have 

 never seen or heard o^ more than two full-grown Foxes together 

 in Manitoba, but this I have often seen, and have heard of 

 times without number. Many observers, among them W. R. 

 Hine, have found the home in cubbing time, and in each case 



' Recreation Magazine, May, 1897, p. 339. 



