736 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



A corroborative note is supplied me by Dr. J. W. Walker, 

 of Wakefield, Eng. He knew of a Fox that ran before the 

 local hounds three or four times each year for 7 years, before it 

 was killed. 



STRANGE An interesting; case of a Fox cub that knew how to take 



INSTAN- , . 



cEs care of himself is vouched for by Dunham Wheeler, of New 

 York. He had five young Foxes in a cage; one of these 

 had the ill-luck to break his hind-leg. The others plagued 

 him so that their captor gave him a little box in which 

 was room only for one. Here he at once ensconced himself, 

 snarling savagely and threatening, with back-turned ears, 

 whenever any of the others approached; and he stayed 

 there until the broken leg healed, when he leaped out as 

 sound as ever. 



Possibly connected with the instinct for rolling on any 

 strange strong scent, is the following related by L. R. Gridley, 

 of Appleton, Wis. His wife's father, a trapper in Wisconsin, 

 found a certain trap sprung again and again, but nothing in it 

 except long Fox hairs. At length he sat up to watch. At four 

 in the morning the Fox came and rolled over the trap. It 

 sprung at once, but could not grip on his broad body; he ate 

 the bait in comfort and went his way. But the trapper now 

 set one of those abominations called a clawed otter-trap, and 

 next night Reynard was caught by the back. 



FUR • During the 85 years, 1821' to 1905 inclusive, the Hud- 



son's Bay Company collected 1,536,420 skins of this species; 

 an average of 18,075 for each year. The lowest was 2,757 in 

 1826, the highest 52,693 in 1876. The average for the 10 

 years, 1895 to 1905, was 22,671. 



Poland's lists" show that during the 71 years, 1821 to 1891 

 inclusive, 3,831,516 skins were taken by the other American 



' 182 1 was the first year when the Hudson's Bay Company's operations ex- 

 tended without opposition over all the far country of British North America. 



"In using these lists one must remember that he gives year of marketing, whereas 

 the furs were taken the year before; also certain returns had two years' catch represented, 

 others but half a year's catch. 



