AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



39 



notice on the late expeditions."* This at once over- 

 tlirows Pennant's account, and proves that the Fox he 

 described as the same with the European, was in reality 

 the V. fulvus. As to the first tradition, given by Kalm, 

 none of the Indian tribes inhabiting New England could, 

 possibly, possess any knowledge of the state of the sea to 

 the north, as to this day, the tribes dwelling even 20 de- 

 grees nearer its shores, are wholly ignorant of it; added to 

 which, the intermediate nations have been from time im- 

 memorial at war with tlieir neighbours. As regards the 

 introduction of common Foxes into our country from Eu- 

 rope, for the purposes of hunting, we confess we are scep- 

 tical, though we cannot absolutely deny the fact. But, 

 even granting that they were thus introduced, it would by 

 no means account for the great numbers of these animals 

 which are now to be found, without allowing that their 

 prolific powers have wonderfully increased by their change 

 of climate. There is some discrepancy of opinion among 

 authors, as to the colour of the tip of the tail in the com- 

 mon Fox: Linnaeus, and most other writers, say it is 

 white, whilst Desmarest asserts it is black. This part in 

 the red Fox, as far as we can ascertain, is invariably 

 whitish or white, and never black. 



Since we commenced this investigation, we have ex- 

 amined a great number of skins of red Foxes, and inva- 

 riably found all those which were acknowledged to be 

 American, of one species, the. fulvus. Without relying 

 on our own researches alone, we have asked the opinion of 

 others, and have found that our ideas were confirmed by 

 those who have had ample opportunities for information on 

 the subject. Mr. T. Peale permits us to state, that during 

 his excursions, and among the various specimens he has 

 seen, he has never met with the common Fox as occurring 

 in the United States. None of the cabinets in this city even 

 contain a specimen of the V. vulgaris. 



The red Fox is about two feet, to two feet and a half, in 

 length; the tail, with the fur, about sixteen inches; height, 

 from fourteen to eighteen inches. It burrows in the sum- 

 mer, and in winter sometimes takes shelter in the hollow 

 of a tree, or under one which has fallen. Their usua! 

 haunts are in dense thickets, where they are with difficulty 

 followed. The female brings forth in the spring, and has 

 from four to five at a litter. The young are covered at 

 birth with a soft downy fur, of a yellowish gray colour, 

 the ferruginous hair not appearing till tJiey are from five to 

 six weeks old. When taken at an early age, this species 

 may be domesticated to a certain degree, though they 

 always retain some of their savage propensities. Dr. 

 Richardson says he procured four cubs, a fortnight old. 



* Richardson, Faun. am. bor. 97. 



H 



which were thought by the hunters to be the cross variety, 

 but which eventually proved the common red Fox. These 

 little creatures began very early to burrow in the sandy 

 floor of the house in which he kept them, and to conceal 

 themselves during the day. They, however, were very 

 tame, and would come on being called, taking food from 

 the hand and carrying it to their places of concealment, 

 never eating when overlooked. 



A young one was also suckled at the Philadelphia Mu- 

 seum, by a cat, who continued to nurse it for several 

 weeks, when it was killed by a fall. They are unpleasant 

 pets, from the fetor of their urine somewhat resembling 

 that of the skunk. The red Fox, besides his depredations 

 on the poultry yards, likewise preys on smaller animals of 

 the rat kind, rabbits, &c. ; he is also fond of fish, and, in 

 fact, rejects no kind of animal food that comes in his way. 

 His flesh is rank and ill tasted, and is eaten only through 

 necessity. 



The red Fox resembles his European congener, in his 

 craftiness and cunning, exhibiting the same wiles to escape 

 pursuit, and the same instinctive cautiousness of traps and 

 snares. It is said, that the red Fox of the present day is 

 killed in a much shorter time, and with more certainty, 

 than formerly. When pursued, they are more apt to for- 

 sake their haunts, and run for miles in one direction, than 

 the gray, which is often killed, even after a severe chase, 

 near the place from which it first set out. In this respect, 

 the latter is more analogous to the European. The red 

 Fox hunts for its food chiefly in the night time, but is also 

 frequently seen in the day. In the winter season, their 

 tracks are frequent on the borders of lakes and ponds, 

 which they quarter somewhat like a pointer dog. They 

 turn aside to almost every stump or twig appearing above 

 ground, and void their urine on it. 



Various methods are made use of to entrap these suspi- 

 cious animals, as steel or box traps, and falls made of logs, 

 &c. ; but much nicety i? required in setting them, or the 

 Fox will avoid them. A very neat and successful mode of 

 fixing a steel trap, ftas been described to us. After having 

 fixed on a place which they frequent, the trap is to be 

 opened and its exact form traced on the ground, and as 

 much earth removed as will contain it without pressure: 

 the sod removed from the top is to be laid over it, and the 

 lines of separation covered with mould, and grass stuck in 

 it. A bait of cheese is to be placed above, and in two or three 

 places in the neighbourhood, and it is better to bait the 

 spot in which the trap is set, for some days previous, to 

 remove all fear. Some of the best trappers ascribe their 

 success to the use of assafoetida, castoreum, and other 

 analogous substances, with which they rub their traps, and 

 small twigs set up in the neighbourhood, alleging that 



