393 



THEY DO FAR MORE HARM THAN GOOD. 



Field observation and post moitem examinations 

 show that Foxes unquestionably do far more harm 

 than good. The great destruction of wild birds is, I 

 believe, of more loss to agricultural interests than the 

 benefit such interests receive from Foxes catching de- 

 structive mammals, grasshoppers and other forms of 

 insect life. Foxes not only destroy all kinds of song 

 and insect-eating birds and eggs they can get, but they 

 consume game of all kinds — and many of the game 

 birds, at certain seasons of the year eat harmful in- 

 sects. Advices from different parts of our State, es- 

 pecially in some of western counties, show that Foxes 

 kill a great many 3'oung lambs, and sometimes destroy 

 whole litters of pigs; this means a loss of money which, 

 in the aggregate, is considerable every year. The de- 

 struction of all kinds of domesticated fowls by Foxes 

 is shown on succeeding pages to be a serious hindrance 

 to poultry raisers. There is little doubt that Foxes — 

 both species — destroy annually many thousands of dol- 

 lars worth of poultry in Pennsylvania. Gray Foxes 

 do less injury to poultry interests because there are 

 less of them in our State, and, as a rule, they seem to 

 prefer to stay in woods and thickets away from the 

 habitations of man. The Gray Fox seems to want to 

 keep away from man's improved possessions, and 

 while he often steals the poultry of farmers about the 

 outskirts of the dark thickets and tangled underbrush 

 he lives in, his evil work consists mainly in destroying 

 beneficial birds and game. The Gray Fox is a good 

 traveler, but he does not, when searching for food, it 

 appears, wander over so much territory as his red- 

 coated relative. In the southern states wheie Gray 

 Foxes are much more numerous than they are with 

 25»--II 



