The Fox 109 



food, and jumping about their mother, especially 

 when she was lying upon the grass. Sometimes the 

 mother fox would play with them much after the 

 fashion of a dog. Twice I saw the male fox at the den. 



We are told that sometimes live mice and occasion- 

 ally other animals are brought to the den for the 

 little foxes to play with and later to feast upon. Only 

 once did I see anything of this kind, the victim in 

 this instance being a young woodchuck. It was 

 evident from the woodchuck's movements that the 

 mother fox had not injured the prey. It was amus- 

 ing to see the antics of the young foxes. They were 

 very cautious at first in their approach. Sometimes 

 in their haste to retreat they fell over each other as 

 the woodchuck made a dash for them. The old fox 

 had to recapture the woodchuck several times and 

 on the last occasion killed it, whereupon the little ones 

 enjoyed a good feast. 



I have yet to know a den of foxes that so regularly 

 and systematically drew for its supply of food upon 

 one poultry yard as did this one. The fowls being 

 allowed to run at large, -the ducks and hens and par- 

 ticularly the turkeys often strayed some little distance 

 away. A greater part of the missing fowls were 

 taken during the day, for at night they were shut in 

 the poultry house, or, as in the case of the turkeys, 



