74 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



In the fall of 1880, Foxes were very plentiful 

 in the State of New York on the hills between 

 the Unadilla and Chenango Rivers. There was 

 scarcely any snow until late in November, and 

 when it did come it was very dry, the wind blow- 

 ing it from the fields and hill tops, and drifting 

 it along the fences. Notwithstanding the bare- 

 ness of the fields, thoughts of the old-time sport 

 tempted the more adventurous hunters. Two 

 of these enthusiastic Nimrods set forth with a 

 well-trained hound before the snow had stopped 

 sifting about even in the less exposed places. 

 The hound soon struck a trail, and as the track 

 was fresh he seemed to fly over the snow. The 

 deep-toned baying sent the blood tingling through 

 the veins of both pursuer and pursued. The 

 first hunt of the season was really on ! The 

 men took positions of vantage on the supposed 

 runway, watching and listening carefully for 

 the expected game. Meanwhile, the hound had 

 gone quite out of hearing to the north. An hour 

 passed and no Fox appeared. Nothing was 

 heard save the baying of the hound far away to 

 the east. In half an hour the Fox appeared in 

 a valley, over which the hunters commanded a 

 distinct view. As the Fox could not take to 

 the water in the frozen streams, he tried an- 

 other trick which worked admirably. It was 

 this : Within the valley and in sight of the 

 hunters were two ploughed fields, each contain- 

 ing a marked elevation. The wind had swept 

 these higher areas completely bare of snow and 

 loosened bits of earth had rolled away, until the 

 surfaces were quite smooth. The runway of the 

 Fox may have been across these wind-swept 

 places. Be that as it may, the Fox crossed each 

 in turn. \\'hen the hound came upon the first 

 place he lost the trail for a time, but finding it, 

 proceeded to the second. The Fox, instead of 

 continuing his course as would naturally be ex- 

 pected, returned to the first by a circuitous nnite 

 and then again to the second. Tie repeated this 

 manoeuvre three times, taking the same course 

 each time, finally quitting the game by turning 

 sharply to the left, and making off to the south, 

 leaving behind him a most weary and perplexed 

 dog, 



At another time a Fox was seen to follow a 

 rail fence for about forty rods, nearly in the 

 0])posite direction from that in which he had 

 been traveling; he then jumped from the fence 

 upon the ice of a small creek. By this ruse 

 he succeeded in completely eluding the hounds. 



The common Red Fox is to be found through- 

 out the northeastern United States and Canada, 

 as far south as the Carolinas. Though fond 



of the open prairies, it is especially partial 

 to districts in which there are low hills and 

 ravines, or where there is close proximity to 

 cover. What may be termed its home range, 

 however, is about five miles in diameter in sum- 

 mer, and probably twice that distance in winter. 



The Red Fox takes its name from the rusty 

 or yellowish red color of its coat. The male 

 is a little over three feet in length, the tail being 

 about fourteen inches long. Its height is about 

 thirteen inches. The female is smaller. In 

 northern Foxes the tail is very large, and Mr. 

 Seton gives the following reason for this : " Its 

 nose and pads are the only exposed part, and 

 these might easily be frostbitten when it sleeps 

 during severe weather. But it is always careful 

 on lying down to draw these together, then curl 

 the brush around them ; it acts both as wrap and 

 respirator. ... I believe a Fox or Coyote would 

 die before spring if turned out in the autumn 

 without a tail." 



Its hearing is remarkably keen, and it depends 

 upon this more than upon its eyesight. 



The Red Fox mates in February or early in 

 March, and it seems to be fairly well established 

 that the animal truly pairs. The male Fox is 

 an attentive husband and brings food to his mate, 

 whom he assists in caring for and feeding the 

 cubs. The young are born about the first of 

 April ; there are four to nine cubs in a litter ; 

 and they are born in the den or " earth," which 

 is sometimes excavated by the parents and some- 

 times is an adaptation of a hole that they have 

 found. Besides the den proper, there is often a 

 space used as a store room. The cubs, which are 

 kittenlike in appearance, do not see till the 

 eighth or ninth day from birth, and they remain 

 in the den till they are three or four weeks old. 

 Though nearly full-grown in August or Septem- 

 ber, the cubs are still to be found with their 

 parents; they scatter, however, before winter. 



The speed of the Red Fox is much greater 

 than that of its gray cousin ; it has been known 

 to cover a certain distance at the rate of thirty 

 miles an hour. Dr. Ellzey considers " it is doubt- 

 ful whether a first-rate specimen of a Red Fox, 

 taken at his best in point of condition, can 

 either be killed or run to earth by any pack of 

 hounds living." The Fox has no regular hours 

 for sleeping or eating ; it likes to sleep in the 

 sunshine, and, when tired, " lies down for a 

 nap, not usually in a hollow, but on some ex- 

 posed place, the top of a bank, a boulder, a log, 

 or a stump. , . . He looks like a yellow stone, 

 and seems to know it." 



The Red Fox's dietarv is hoth extensive and 



