120 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1915. 
serve as a means of ventilation for the nest. The hinged roof makes the interior of 
the house very easy of access. 
The nest, in order to assure warmth, is completely surrounded by a dead air space, 
accomplished by the use of double walls and covering the air space side of the nest 
walls with building paper. In an extremely cold climate it would probably be well 
to insulate the nest further by filling the air space with planer shavings, sawdust, or 
some other such material. In this section, however, the air space affords sufficient 
protection against the cold. 
The interior of the house is finished entirely with dressed lumber, and all sharp cor- 
ners are rounded off to prevent injury to the fur. Great care is also taken to be sure 
that no nails are left protruding that might injure the fox or his fur. 
The floors are of 1-inch boards, doubled, and with building paper between. The 
walls are of 1-inch lumber, covered with building paper, and then with either shingles 
or weather boards. The roof is shingled over 1-inch lumber, and is hinged at the 
upper side. 
To afford ventilation in warm weather, two small windows are provided, one at each 
end of the house near the roof. These are 5 inches square and are filled with wire 
netting. A wooden cover is arranged to button over the windows in cold weather, or 
whenever it is desired to close them. A favorite place of refuge for the foxes is the 
space on top of the nest, where they can keep safely out of sight, but at the same time 
watch what is going on by peering out of the windows. 
To protect these houses against the weather we have painted them with two coats 
of good paint. 
MALE FOX SHELTERS.—The male fox is taken away from the female shortly before 
the pups are due, and for this reason it is necessary to provide a suitable shelter 
for him in the male pen. At first we built small houses, 2 by 3 feet inside 
measurements, with a shed roof and a tunnel entrance having an opening 8 by 10 
inches. The house was completely covered with three-ply roofing paper. In the new 
corrals, however, lard tierces have been used for the male-fox shelters. The tierce is 
laid on the ground and a board is fitted in the lower side to serve as a floor. The bot- 
tom is left in, but the head is removed, and over the opening is tacked a piece of heavy 
sail canvas, the lower side being left loose and a slit being cut down the center. This 
makes an easy means for the fox to enter or leave the shelter, and at the same time 
provides ample protection against the weather. In the side of the tierce, and under 
the flat floor, a small auger hole is bored in order to drain any moisture. 
CAPITAL REQUIRED.—We estimate that each corral, complete, with nest house and 
male fox shelter, costs about $200. There might be a slight variation from this figure, 
depending upon locality, cost of labor and of material, manner of construction, etc.; 
but in estimating the capital required for raising foxes in captivity one should figure 
on at least $200 per pair to cover the actual cost of building proper inclosures and shel- 
ters. A person of limited means, who might contemplate raising foxes in captivity, 
should bear in mind the cost of a properly equipped ranch, and should gauge the num- 
ber of foxes he can afford to care for accordingly. We believe there is a far better 
chance of success for one to attempt this business on a small scale to begin with, and 
be certain that the animals are well corralled and housed, than to start with a large 
number of foxes that can not be properly cared for on account of lack of capital. 
Adequately to equip a ranch for 10 pairs of foxes, in Alaska, one must figure on a 
fixed investment about as follows: 
Ten:corrals-complete:at:$200- 2.256% Lue Re A ae eae $2, 000 
Dwelling for keeper, together with the necessary eritoeilinee say ete 1, 500 
Boats, tools, implements, household furniture and fixtures, say........--.--- 500 
