FOXES AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM 



681 



your axes and cut down that big burr-oak that stands 

 close to the northwest line fence. And, Reggie, do you 

 go along with them, and when the tree falls if the 

 fox-den runs out from under the roots, have it dug 

 out and capture the cubs. I want that den of foxes 

 broken up, as we can never catch that old cunning 

 vixen alive.' 



The negroes willingly enough obeyed orders. After a 

 quarter of an hour's chopping, down came the mighty 

 oak. It was hollow for sixty feet from the ground 

 upward, and there was a well-worn entrance to a den 

 at the foot of the tree the General's fox-hunting knowl- 

 edge had stood him in good stead. The den ran off 

 straight to the right for about fifteen feet, four or five 

 feet under the ground, and terminated under the roots 

 of a huge, yellow poplar, long dead, with its tall, spar- 

 like trunk standing limbless in the air. It was no easy 

 job to dig out this den of young foxes ; it was evidently 

 a very old one that had sheltered many generations of 

 the vulpine kind. There were five cubs within it, just 

 old enough to walk and to eat meat, for we found many 

 chicken, turkey, and goose bones in the den, and what 

 had been the thigh-bone of a lamb or kid it was im- 

 possible to tell which. Of the young foxes three were 

 males and two females. Two of the three males werel 

 as white as snow, the third was gray, and the other two! 

 gave evidence of being perfectly black when they hadl 

 shed their first coat of hair, which they do at the samt| 

 time they drop their milk teeth. 



"General Buford did his best to bring all of this' 

 curiously marked den of foxes up to full maturity; bm[ 

 the white one, at about six months of age, took some- 

 thing like distemper in sporting dogs, and died. An-I 

 other was accidentally killed by a horse stepping on 

 it and breaking its back, and the third was found dead 

 one morning in its pan. No visible cause for its sudden 

 demise was apparent, so we simply had to put it down 

 in the list of casualties, cause unknown. Thus was 

 broken up one of the most famous fox-dens in central 

 Kentucky." 



No wild animal is more easily domesticated than the 

 fox, either red or gray, and none exhibits so much sly 

 cunning when tamed; but they are susceptible of a very 

 high degree of affection for whoever has them in charge. 

 The gray fox is one of the species we are most familiar 

 with in the South ; somehow we think it represents, in 

 the highest degree, the lowest cunning and rascality of 

 the fox race. Time after time we have heard well- 

 authenticated instances of the gray fox pursuing and 

 crawling after a covey of partridges, very much as a 

 badly broken pointer would that had the hunting in- 

 stinct, but had not been properly trained. Then, in 

 audacity, the gray fox exceeds the red, for it will make 

 its raid absolutely up to the barnyard, if it can thereby 

 seize a fat hen or goose. The latter would seem to be 

 its especial quarry probably because the geese wander 

 farther afield to the lakes and bayous that are around and 

 about almost every plantation in the farther South. 



Probably the habits of the Florida gray fox and other 

 southern subspecies are quite similar to the species just 

 described; they may differ a little, owing to the nature 

 and conditions of their several environments; but it is 

 not likely that these differences are very marked. The 

 dwarf gray fox is the smallest animal of the family in 

 North America even smaller than the kit fox. 



CHINESE FOREST TREE 'SEEDS AVAILABLE 



A LIST of Chinese tree seeds which are available this 

 f* year has been received from Mr. D. Y. Lin, of 

 the College of Agriculture and Forestry of the University 

 of Nanking, Nanking, China. The list contains quite a 

 few new species for which orders will be taken up for 

 the 1920 crop, subject, of course, to the usual condi- 

 tions. Descriptions of these species can be found in 

 Bailey's Encyclopedia of Horticulture. Inquiries for any 

 other kinds of Chinese seeds will be welcome. The seed 

 collection this year totals tons, the largest share of which 

 will be demanded by forest nurseries managed by 

 Chinese, and by extensive Chinese nurseries. The profits 

 from the business are all devoted to the furthering of 

 ^forestry in China. 



Prices are quoted in gold, per pound: 



Acer buergeranium $ .80 



Acer trididum. ' 80 



Aleurites cordata 30 



Camellia chinensis 40 



Castanea vulgaris, 1920 



Cedrella sinensis 2.50 



Celtis chinensis 40 



Cinnamanum camphora 60 



Dalbergia hupeana 1.00 



Gingko biloba 15 



Gleditsia sinensis 50 



Juglans regia var. sinensis 15 



Koelreuteria apiculata 1.00 



Ligustrum lucidum 10 



Liquidambar formosana 1.50 



Melia azederach 20 



Pistacia chinensis 30 



Pterocarya stenoptera 40 



Quercus, 1920 



Sapium sebif erum 20 



Sophora japonica 40 



Sterculia! plan tan ifolia 30 



Ulmus parvifolia 1.00 



Zelkova acuminata 60 



Cryptomeria japonica 75 



Cunninghamia lanceolata 1-00 



Pinus armandi 1-00 



Pinus massoniana 50 



Thuya orientalis 40 



The prices quoted are for seed only. Parcel post 

 costs 12 cents, gold, per pound, and parcels up to 50 

 pounds can be sent. All parcels are forwarded from the 

 United States Postal Agency, Shanghai. Parcel post is 

 usually cheaper than express, though they can be sent 

 in care of the American Express Company, Shanghai, 

 if desired. Four to eight weeks are required. A cost 

 charge is made for bags and packing. Bills may be 

 paid, when presented, to Mr. Russell Carter, Treasurer, 

 University of Nanking, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York 

 City, thus greatly simplifying accounting and payments. 



All possible care is taken in the collecting and handling 

 of seeds, as well as in packing and shipping, though of 

 necessity we can not guarantee condition of seed upon 

 arrival. Application for seed should be made to Mr. Lin, 

 at Nanking, as above. 



