71G 



Life-histories of Northern Animals 



The den, or 'earth,' is the nursery of the Fox. Although 

 used chiefly while the cubs are nursing, there are cases to show 

 that some Foxes live at home the whole year round. 



It is approached by a burrow of g to 12 inches calibre, 

 usually on the sunny side of a hill or bank. Sometimes the 

 Foxes make it themselves; sometimes they adapt one that they 

 find. 



A fox-den which I examined on a wooded hill, near To- 

 ronto, had two or three entrances. This was made like the 



Fig. ig2 — Side view or elevation, and plan of the fox-den opened by Geo. L. Fordyce. 



home of a Chipmunk, that is, all the earth was scratched out of 

 one hole, though there were several doorways. Those chiefly 

 in use had no earth-pile about them to make them conspicuous. 

 Indeed, one might have been within ten feet without suspecting 

 their presence. 



I have, however, seen many newly made fox-dens which 

 had no earth-pile whatever, though the tunnel was fully ten 

 feet deep. Evidently the Fox had disposed of the earth by 

 scattering it. 



The nest is made in a dry chamber a dozen or more feet 

 from the door, and is sometimes lined with a little dry grass. 



