Chap. 2. 



QUADRUPEDS OF VERMONT 



55 



THE RED FOX. 



THE CROSS FOX. 



THE RED FOX. 



Cants fulvus. — Desmarest. 



Description. — General color yellow- 

 ish red, or straw yellow, less brilliant to- 

 wards the tail ; eiiin white ; breast dark 

 gray; belly whitish, tinged with red to- 

 wards the tail; fronts of the legs and feet 

 black ; tail very l)u.shy and less ferrugin- 

 ous than the body, the hairs being mostly 

 terminated with black, giving it a dark aj)- 

 pearanco, with usually a few white hairs 

 at the tip; eyes n(far to each other; — 

 length of the liead and body 28 inches; 

 tail including the hair 16 inches ; height 

 of the shoulder 13 inclies. 



History. — Tlie Fox has ahv.a3-s been 

 proverbial for slyness and cunning, and 

 to illustrate these traits of cliaracter in 

 the hnnian species this animal has been 

 largely taxed by fabulists, particularly by 

 ^sop,whocomposf d iiis fables 2400 3'ears, 

 ago. Foxes have their residence ciiicfly 

 in holes, which they dig in the eartli, or 

 of which they get possession by ejecting 

 the woodclmck from his. These burrows 

 have two or more entrances and usually 

 extend under ledges of rocks or roots of 

 trees so that digging out the animal is of- 

 ten attended with considerable labor. 

 Though sometimes seen skulking about 

 in the day time, or basking in the sun, 

 the Fox does not usually venture much 

 abroad excepting in the nigiit. He tiien 

 prowls for his prey tlirough the woods 

 and fields and even among our out-build- 

 ings. His food consists of hares, rats, 

 mice, small birds and poultry. He is said 

 sometimes to feed upon frogs, snails and 

 insects, and is fond of several kinds of 

 berries and fruits. The fable of the fox 

 and sour grapes, shows that tlie partiality 

 of this animal for the fruit of the vine 

 was understood in the days of .^sop. 

 The Fox is a great annoyance in many 

 parts of the state, sometimes destroying- 

 young lambs and often making great hav- 

 oc among the poultry. A bounty of 2-5 

 cents each has been for several years 

 paid for killing Foxes within the state; 

 and the amount paid out of the treasury 

 on this account has varied from JjJlOOO to 

 ^2000 annually, showing that from 4000 

 to 8000 foxes have been annually destroy- 



ed. The law authorizing the bounty was 

 repealed in lr'41. 



The red Fox is the common fox in Ver- 

 mont, as Vi'cll as in all the northern parts 

 of the United States and Canada. Much 

 doubt lias existed with regard to the iden- 

 tity of this fox witli the common fox of 

 En rope, Canis vulpes,hut it is at present re- 

 garded by the best naturalists as a distinct 

 species. Tlie particulars in which the 

 two species differ are pointed out by Dr. 

 Richardson in his Fauna Boreali America- 

 na, Vol. 1. p. 91. This fox is sometimes 

 taken in traps, but he is so sly and sus- 

 picious that to trap for him successfully 

 requires much skill. The best fox hunters 

 attribute their success to the use of assa- 

 foctida or castoreum, with which they 

 rub their traps, believing the foxes to be 

 attracted by such perfumes. The fox is 

 however more commonly t.aken in Ver- 

 mont, by being shot under the pursuit of 

 the hound. VVhen the hound is put upon 

 their track they do not retreat directly to 

 their holes, nor lead off to any considera- 

 ble distance in one direction, but take a 

 circuit around the base of some hill which 

 they will often encompass many times be- 

 fore tliey proceed to their burrows. The 

 hunter, knowing this to be the habit of 

 the fox, can judge of the course he will 

 take and is enabled to place himself in a 

 situation to shoot the animal as it passes. 

 The skins of red foxes, if prime, are al- 

 wa3's valuable and the price for several 

 j-ears past has been from ^\ to !$ 1,2.5 and 

 sometimes a little higher according to 

 quality. The fox is a prolific animal. It 

 produces its young usually in ApriJ and 

 has from three to six at a litter. 



THE AMERICAN CROSS FOX. 

 Canis fulvus. — Var. dccussatiis. 



Description. — A blackish stripe pass- 

 ing from the neck down the back and 

 another crossing it at right angles over the 

 shoulders; sides ferruginous, running into 

 gray on the back ; the chin, legs and 

 under parts of the body black, with a few 

 hairs tipped with white ; upper side of the 

 tail gray ; under side and parts of the 

 body adjacent, pale yellow ; tail tipped 

 with white. The cross upon the shoul- 

 ders is not always apparent even in speci- 

 mens, which, from the fineness of the fur, 

 are acknowledged to be Cross Foxes. 

 Size the same as the common Fox. 



History. — Instead of considering tlie 

 Cross Fox a distinct species, as most A- 

 merican writers have done, I have con- 

 cluded to adopt the opinion of Dr. Rich- 

 ardson, who regards it merely as a variety 

 of the common fox. In form and size 



