no DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



ing the prevalence of foxes and it was learned that they were 

 unusually abundant over most of the State. In order to deter- 

 mine whether they had migrated here from other States, 

 inquiries were sent to all the New England States, with the 

 result that foxes were reported numerous in all of them. It 

 may be that foxes came into New England from the north 

 during the winter, but we have no evidence to that effect. 

 The only movement of foxes that this investigation discov- 

 ered, if indeed it can be called a movement, was an influx of 

 southern gray fox into western Connecticut and western the 

 Massachusetts, where it was formerly believed to be rare but 

 where it seems to have increased much in numbers within the 

 last few decades, and particularly in recent years. 



In the course of the inquiry regarding foxes it developed that 

 an increase of wildcats also had occurred, and that excessive 

 numbers of wild or vagrant house cats were roaming the woods 

 and fields. It was reported that there were many weasels in 

 some sections. The increase in the numbers of foxes, cats and 

 weasels is due largely to an excess of field mice and wood mice, 

 which hvave become unduly destructive to orchard trees and 

 crops in many localities. These mice form the principal food 

 of foxes, cats, weasels, hawks and owls. The increase of mice 

 is no doubt due to the destruction of our native hawks and 

 owls by gunners and game preservers, as these birds are the 

 greatest natural enemies of mice >and also of weasels. Given 

 sufiicient food, foxes are so sly and cautious that they will 

 increase anywhere unless caught up by skillful trappers. Such 

 trappers are few and our laws do not encourage their work. 

 Probably also the war has decreased the number of trappers. 

 The protection and increase of deer are responsible indirectly to 

 some extent for the increase of foxes and wildcats. Many fox 

 hounds will follow the fresh trail of a deer. This is an unlawful 

 act which subjects the owner to a fine, and many fox hunters 

 therefore will no longer pursue foxes or wildcats.^ Domestic 

 cats running wild are rarely hunted, although some are treed 

 and shot by gunners and raccoon hunters in the woods. The 

 cat is supposed to be a domesticated animal, and this is a 

 presumption which protects it. Under our present laws there 

 is no way of distinguishing the ownerless cat from the domestic 



1 The wildcat referred to here in all cases is the bay lynx. 



