Gray Fox 
because of any inborn hatred of civilization, like that which 
drives the beaver and marten forever off into the wilderness. 
He would apparently be perfectly willing to dwell, like the red 
fox, as a free-booter on the borders of a plantatior., living on 
mice and game birds, or stealing the farmer's chickens as occa- 
sion offered; but the farmer usually proves too much for him. 
The gray fox is sly and cunning by nature, but he lacks 
that astonishing shrewdness and faculty for working out deep- 
laid schemes which enables the red fox to turn the tables on 
the hunter repeatedly in the most unpromising situations. 
Physically the gray fox has the advantage in a number of 
ways; being smaller and less conspicuously coloured, he has a 
much better chance of tricking. 
He can also climb trees better than the red fox, and is 
equally swift at running and more tireless, while his rough 
gray-brown fur is much less eagerly sought after than is the 
beautiful pelt of the red fox. 
Gray foxes seldom live in burrows; most of them have 
their camps in hollow logs and old tree-trunks, where they can 
take refuge in rough weather or when chased by dogs. At 
other times they like to sleep in the open air, hidden among 
the bushes and undergrowth. They are clever hunters, and living 
as they do farther to the south, and avoiding those regions 
where the snow lies deep in winter, seldom lack for food at 
any season. 
They catch and eat almost every small creature that lives 
in the forest—insects, fish, reptiles, birds, and small mammals; 
they also at times eat wild grapes and berries, and very likely 
acorns, chestnuts and mushrooms, like most of the carnivorous 
animals. 
The female hides her young in a nest of leaves at the 
bottom of a hollow tree, and later brings them out to give 
them lessons in hunting and woodcraft. When they have learned 
to take care of themselves a little they separate, to wander 
where they will, unprotected, picking up a living here and there 
as best they may. The barking of the gray fox is thin and 
husky, fainter than that of the red fox, and serves chiefly to 
call the sexes together in the spring. 
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