The Coast Fox. 5/" 



would be eating together. They were especially fond of fish, 

 whether raw or cooked, but did not refuse corned beef, ham, or 

 bacon They even ate ship's biscuit, and " Dick " was once sur- 

 reptitiously licking the grease from a saucepan, but their favorite 

 delicacy was spoilt blackberry jam. We had brought over a can 

 of this preserve, which upon examination proved unfit for use, so 

 we abandoned it to the foxes. In two days the can was as clean 

 as the most exacting housewife could desire. 



On going down to the beach one day, we found it literally 

 covered with hundreds and thousands of little fish, about the size 

 of sardines, some dead, and others still alive. They had evidently 

 been driven into our cove by a school of big bass, and were being 

 cast up by the surf and lelt by the receding tide. We picked up 

 about 850 — weighing eleven pounds in all — and took them up to 

 camp. We soon found that we had a good many more than we 

 could eat, and we gave the foxes a treat. They were very much 

 excited and after devouring as many as they could, proceeded to 

 carry off the rest to their hiding places among the rocks and 

 bushes. They carried them, of course, in their mouths, some- 

 times taking five or six at once. That night we could see many 

 dusky forms roaming up and down the beach. It seemed as if all 

 the foxes in the canyon were come down to take advantage of the 

 unwonted opportunity. 



The foxes did not often quarrel over their food, and even when 

 they did, their only demonstrations of anger were muttered growls 

 and hisses. On the other hand, they were apparently of very 

 affectionate and playful dispositions, chasing each other in sport, 

 and licking one another like kittens. Indeed, their actions and 

 appearance, strange as it may seem, reminded us far oftener of 

 cats than of dogs. They had an eminently feline gait in walking 

 and running — gliding noiselessly and stealthily through the under- 

 brush, or darting with remarkable agility up the precipitous hill- 

 sides. Moreover, upon tasting anything disagreeable, like mus- 

 tard, pepper, or salt, they would nervously shake a forepaw in a 

 manner wonderfully like a cat. 



As the climate in summer is very fine, we slept out in the open 

 air, without a tent, and not infrequently were awakened by feeling 

 something clambering over us, or tugging at the blanket, and, as 

 we started up, saw a badly frightened fox scampering away into 

 the darkness. 



Although we continually saw them during the day, the foxes 

 are in general nocturnal, or, at least, of crepuscular habits. Dur- 

 ing the evenings the canyon resounded with their barkings. This 

 bark or cry is a very peculiar and quite indescribable sound ; a 

 fair imitation of it may be produced by turning the handle of a. 

 well-filled coffee mill half-way round, sharply and suddenly. The 

 foxes inhabit caves and crevices in the rock, or sheltered retreats 



