THE LIFE OF MAMMALS 
local race. Such is the case in Greenland, Iceland, and in 
the Aleutian Islands, where blue foxes are now carefully 
preserved and cared for in a scmidomestic condition, for the 
sake of their highly valuable fur, a certain number being killed 
annually. 
In Alaska these foxes occur everywhere, but prefer rocky ledges, or the 
precipitous seacoast, where they can find snug shelters. Nelson’s party, 
scaling the unvisited cliffs of Herald Island, found them in prosperous 
possession. Their burrows pitted the hills, each bedded with moss; and 
the animals sat about squeaking surprise rather than protest at the in- 
truders. ‘During summer they fare sumptuously upon the breeding 
waterfowl, eggs, and young birds, which are found everywhere; but in 
winter comes harder work, and the ground is more carefully searched for 
stray mice, lemmings, or an occasional ptarmigan. In early spring, toward 
the end of March, when the seals begin to haul up on the ice and the first 
young are born, thousands of these foxes go out seaward and live upon 
the ice the rest of the season. The young seal’s offal left by hunters and 
from other sources gives them more food than the shore affords at this 
time. . In fall a dead whale or other large sea animal cast ashore 
forms a general feast for all the foxes and ravens from the country round 
till its bones are polished. The young of this species are born in 
May and June. The young are covered with a dingy or smoky 
plumbeous fur all summer until the last of September or first of October, 
when the white winter fur begins to appear. In spring the fur gets worn 
and is harsh and worthless by the middle of April; it becomes prime again 
about the end of October.” 
For the most northern adventurers, which spend the winter on Spitz- 
bergen, or even some more remote arctic island, no food whatever save an 
accidental find of sea-carrion is available during the dark half of the year; 
and so they have learned to lay away stores of food. While the brief 
summer lasts, these foxes are ceaselessly occupied in feeding on birds, 
eggs, and lemmings, and grow replete with fatness. As cold weather 
approaches they kill lemmings industriously and pack their bodies away 
in rock crevices and in caches beneath the snow, where they freeze and 
are drawn upon from day to day. The foxes of southern Alaska and other 
southerly regions do not seem to store such supplies, and are often driven 
by famine to enter native villages and encampments in search of scraps, 
and so fall victims to the dogs. 
208 
