January 26, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



127 



of one of the sheds, near which it was pro- 

 posed to set traps, and, starting with four 

 bodies, the number was increased as found 

 necessary, until no less than ten were con- 

 sumed each night. 



"When all was ready trapping was begun, 

 box traps being used, in order that the 

 foxes taken might be examined to ascertain 

 their sex, the dead falls formerly employed 

 killing whatever entered, regardless of sex 

 or condition. All females were turned loose 

 after being marked by clipping a ring of fur 

 from the tail, an exception being made when 

 white foxes were caught, all of these being 

 killed in the endeavor to produce a breed 

 none of which should turn white in winter. 



As the use of box traps proved to be some- 

 what slow, a small enclosure, or corral, was 

 hastily constructed adjoining a large shed, 

 and so arranged that the entrance could be 

 readily closed by a man stationed within 

 the building. This plan proved an imme- 

 diate success, the foxes entering the enclos- 

 ure without hesitation, so that from five to 

 forty could be taken at one time. Having 

 been shut in the corral the animals were 

 driven through a small door cut in the side 

 of the shed into a room where they were 

 caught by means of forked sticks pressed 

 over their necks, these being superseded by 

 boards with a U-sba.ped opening in one end. 

 The foxes were then passed, one at a time, 

 through a small door into a second room, 

 where they were received by a gang of men 

 and examined as to sex. The females were 

 all released, while the majority of the males 

 were killed by breaking their necks, the in- 

 tention being to leave one male to every 

 three females. All foxes liberated were 

 marked as previously noted, and this mark 

 was repeated whenever an individual was 

 captured more than once, with the result 

 that by the end of the season some animals 

 had lost most of the fur on their tails. 



The possibility of rendering the foxes 

 polygamous remains to be seen, and it will 



naturally take a series of careful observa- 

 tions extending over a number of years to 

 definitely determine this point. At pres- 

 ent it can only be said that the catch of the 

 second season on St. George did not fall be- 

 low that of the first, and some observations 

 show that the male foxes will have inter- 

 course with more than one female, while the 

 bringing together of the animals that would, 

 under natural conditions be widely scat- 

 tered, is a most important factor in render- 

 ing them polygamous. The curious fact pre- 

 sents itself that in every instance save one, 

 the number of males taken exceeded that of 

 the females, even towards the close of the 

 trapping season, but it is, of course, pos- 

 sible that this may be due to the attraction 

 of the females for the males and not to any 

 excess in the birthrate of the latter. 



Mr. Judge's observations have made it 

 clear that the foxes have no predilection 

 for any particular locality, the question 

 of food being the main factor in determin- 

 ing their distribution. This was proved 

 by trapping at various parts of the island, 

 the result being that comparatively few 

 animals, were taken save at the village, 

 while those caught at one locality would 

 subsequently be taken at another. Conse- 

 quently by judicious baiting they can be 

 readily enticed from all parts of the island 

 to the vicinity of the village, where they 

 can be taken by wholesale, in such manner 

 that the total number of foxes on the island 

 can be pretty nearly ascertained, as well as 

 the proportions of the sexes. The blue foxes 

 seem to lack the proverbial craft of the other 

 species, for not only did they readily enter 

 the pen, but, as shown, by the marks, they 

 entered again and again, some individuals 

 being captured no less than five times, while 

 a few were taken twice in succession at in- 

 tervals of about ten minutes. That the 

 scent of man about the corral should not 

 deter the foxes from entering is not surpris- 

 ing, since, except during the trapping sea- 



