74 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



40 or more would be inside. The man operating the trap stood inside 

 the coal house, and by pulling a rope, caused the door to drop, and the 

 foxes were prisoners. Subsequently a wire-mesh trap or cage 14 by 10 

 by 8 feet was procured and placed at one end of a house especially 

 for the fox business. This house is divided into three rooms, in the 

 larger of which is a vat for freshening salt meat or fish. The other 

 rooms are designated as trapping and examination rooms, respectively. 

 The cage adjoins the trapping room. All food set out for foxes is 

 placed in the cage, the door being always open. Week after week before 

 trapping begins the foxes feed in this trap, and of course have no fear 

 of it. 



"When trapping time arrives, food is placed in the trap as usual 

 and 8 or 10 men repair to the fox house. The door of the wire cage is 

 adjusted and the man who operates it is stationed in the trapping room, 

 in a position to observe what is going on in the cage; and when a suffi- 

 cient number of foxes have entered, he closes the door by pulling a 

 small rope. He then goes into the cage and drives the animals into 

 the trapping room, where two men with large leather mittens pick the 

 foxes up and pass them, one at a time, into the hands of others waiting 

 in the examination room. 



"When the foxes are numerous in the trapping room, they run be- 

 tween the legs of the men attempting to catch them, climb up their bodies 

 and jump from their shoulders, but very seldom bite except when they 

 are taken hold of. If they get a good hold of a man's hand they hang on 

 with bull-dog tenacity until their jaws are pried apart. They seem to 

 realize their inability to bite through the mittens, and with few ex- 

 ceptions are easily handled. Major Clark reports one last year as lying 

 inert in the native's arms, making no struggle whatever, and apparently 

 enjoying the smoothing it received. 



"The Government Agent is stationed in the examination 

 Bre^ederf *^^ room, and when a fox is passed in he decides whether it 



shall be killed, or branded and dismissed as a breeder. 

 The elements on which his decision is based are the colour and quality 

 of the fur, the age, length of brush, and live weight of the animal. 

 All white foxes, runts, those off colour, crippled, bob-tailed, in poor con- 

 dition physically, suffering from mange, or otherwise unfit to be left as 

 breeders, are despatched at once. All animals left as breeders must be 

 in good physical condition, of good colour, and either j^oung or in the 

 prime of life; males must weigh at least 10 pounds, and females at 

 least 7^ pounds. 



"The age is determined by a dental examination which is made by 

 opening the animal's mouth with a soft gag, and inspecting the teeth. 



