APPENDIX F 353 



till quite close. It swam very slowly, head back, and tail out. 

 Was not nearly so fast as the Lynx, was slower even than a dog. 



It was an adult male: weight, ISJlbs.; length, 3 ft. 7j in.; 

 tail, 16J; hind-foot, 7J; height at shoulder, 16 in.; snout, to ear 

 tip, 10 in. ; tip to tip of ears when wide set, 7J in ; eye to snout, 

 3j in.; fat; no tape- worm; stomach contained quantity of fish; 

 legs and feathers of ruffed grouse, and a mass of hairs of mice, 

 and apparently of squirrel. 



The following are from Seton's note-book: 



Belalise says foxes are scarce this year, owing to the high wa- 

 ter and floods all spring. The young probably were drowned. A 

 few years ago we could see 9 or 10 foxes a day on the open coun- 

 try. This year only one, or maybe none, and no young ones. 



He once saw a silver fox on a small island, and landed to give 

 chase, though armed only with a hatchet. After a short pursuit 

 the fox got into a hole. He stopped up the hole with a bag, also 

 four others near by, and went home. Next day he returned with 

 spade and crowbar and dug out the fox. Its pelt brought $150. 

 The ground was hard frozen, and there was an inch of snow. 



As interesting evidence on the life-history of the fox, I collected 

 the following: 



Belalise says that about the 1st November, 1904, about five 

 miles from Chipewyan, he was out hunting when he came on 

 two big foxes, one a silver, one a cross, hunting mice together; 

 they were less than a yard apart at times, and occasionally seemed 

 to unite in hunting the same mouse. 



George Sanderson says that he has seen two adult foxes travel- 

 ling together in early fall. 



According to T. Anderson, foxes are well known to cache eggs 

 when they are plentiful. They bury them in the sand, and 

 mark the place by urination. 



Vulpes lagopus innuitus Merriam. Continental Arctic Fox. 



The Arctic fox inhabits the Barren Grounds exclusively in 

 summer, but in winter migrates some distance into the wooded 

 country. We took a specimen on the north shore of Aylmer 



