208 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 



tricks to catch snow-birds and grouse, espe- 

 cially in the far North. 



It is quite harmless to man, and would prob- 

 ably increase rather than diminish as ranching 

 and civilization gradually overspread its once 

 lonely haunts, did it not so often fall a victim 

 to the poisoned baits laid out for coyotes. 

 This is unfortunate, especially in prairie-dog 

 regions, for it is an indefatigable and skillful 

 hunter of these troublesome burrowers. 



The gray fox. Throughout the Southern 

 States occurs a rather small fox differing in 

 color, for it is prevailingly gray and also in 

 habits, from the northern red foxes. This 

 gray fox seems to have less sharpness, adapta- 

 bility and fearlessness than the red; and it is 

 also less fecund, its young rarely exceeding 

 four or five annually, whereas the litter of the 

 red often numbers seven or eight. Otherwise 

 the gray fox seems to have several advantages, 

 as I have pointed out in my Life of Mammals: 



' l It is decidedly smaller and less conspicuous, being 

 silver-gray, darker on the back, and tinged with 

 rufous on the ears, sides of the neck, breast, and un- 

 der parts, while the tips of the ears, top of the nose, 



