238 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



Range and Notwithstanding the diversity in the coloring 

 Habits of the of the fur and other minor differences, these 

 Red Fox varieties may all be safely included in the 

 species of the Red Fox, which is found all over 

 North America except the Pacific coast region, extending 

 south to the gulf states and north to the region in which the 

 Arctic Fox is found, and, like other fur-bearing animals of a 

 similarly wide range, the furs of the northern specimens are 

 thicker and more valuable than those procured from the south. 

 The close relation of the Red Fox to the Common Fox of 

 Europe is especially shown in the similarity of the habits of the 

 two, tor even Reynard is not more daring or more cunning 

 than his American cousin. Some differences between the two 

 have been noted, however, for Sir J. Richardson says: "The 

 Red Fox does not possess the wind of its English congenor. 

 It runs for about one hundred yards with great swiftness, but 

 its strength is exhausted in the first burst, and it is soon over- 

 taken by a Wolf or a mounted horseman." The Red Fox has 

 the vulpine appetite for poultry to the fullest extent and is a 

 dangerous neighbor to a well stocked barnyard. It is also an 

 adept at catchmg wild fowls, but probably finds its principal 

 prey among the Rabbits, Rats and other rodents. This Fox 

 IS also very fond of fish, and when ranging near the seashore 

 is said to visit the beach in winter seeking Crabs and finny 

 prey. When very hungry it does not disdain Crickets and 

 other insects. 

 Thp Rpd Fnr "^^^ ^ed Fox needs all his cunning, for he is 

 Persistentlu Persistently hunted, especially in the northern 

 H ted P^"^' "^ ^'^ range, where the trapping of fur- 

 "" ■ bearing animals is so extensively carried on. 

 This Fox is very wary, and the Silver Fox variety is particu- 

 larly shy and difficult of approach, owing to the persistency 

 with which it is sought for its valuable fur. 



Some writers hold the opinion that the Red Fox may be de- 

 scended from individuals of the European species introduced at 

 an early period, and account for the points of difference by the 

 altered conditions. In support of this theory it is argued that 

 no remains of the Red Fox have been found in the cave de- 

 posits of America, while those of the Gray Fox are abundant. 

 However this may have been, it seems certain that the Red 

 Fox has driven out the Gray Foxes from many localities in 

 which the latter were formerly very common. 

 Th *-■*■ p O'^e °^ ^^^ smallest of the Foxes is the Kit Fox 

 u/ * {Vulpes velox) which is an inhabitant of the 



a western northwestern states and of the western Cana- 

 bpecies. ^jg^jj provinces; covering the region from south- 

 eastern Nebraska northwest to British Columbia. Its length is 

 about twenty inches, exclusive of the tail, which is about twelve 

 inches long. The overhair is fine and the back is a pure gray, 

 the sides yellow and the under parts white. The ears are small 

 and covered with hair and the soles are also hairy. The muz- 

 zle is shorter and the head broader, proportionately to its size, 

 than that of the Red Fox. It is sometimes called the Swift Fox 

 and also the Burrowing Fox, getting the latter name for the 

 ability and rapidity with which it makes the holes in the ground 

 in which it lives. 

 The Arctic Fox, I" the animal world we find relations 

 a Northern closely allied in a physical respect 

 Variety. but differing at all points in mental 

 characteristics. Such a degenerated fellow is the 

 Arctic Fox, a near relative of Master Reynard, but 

 -widely differing from him in manners and customs. 

 He is one of the simplest and at the same time most 

 importunate, stupidest and yet slyest members of 

 the Fox tribe. The Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) has 

 short, rounded ears, short legs — the balls of the feet 

 being as thickly grown with hair as the rest of the 

 Ijody — a full, bushy tail and a peculiar color. He is 

 perceptibly smaller than the Common Fox, being 

 about thirty-eight inches long, a third of which is 

 taken up by the tail. In summer his fur is of an 

 earthy or rocky color, in winter it assumes either a 

 snow-white or dark bluish hue. Some Foxes there 

 are which do not undergo a white change of coat 

 for winter, but preserve their slate or bluish color. 

 White mothers are often found with both bluish and 

 white young ones, for in the latter the outer coat has 

 not yet reached its full length, and the color is deter- 

 mined by the inner fur, which may be dark or white; 

 but blue-coated mothers are never found with white 

 children. A proof that white and blue Arctic Foxes 

 are constant varieties, is, according to G. Lomer, 



furnished by the fact that among the furs coming 

 from Alaska, those that are blue are the larger by 

 about a hand's breadth and the hair on them is 

 shorter and coarser than that of the white furs. 



Home and As the name indicates, the Arctic Fox 

 Haunts of the inhabits the high latitudes both of the 



Arctic Fox. Old and New World, being of rarer 

 occurrence on the islands than on the continents. 

 It may be assumed that he became distributed all 

 over the northern part of the globe by means of ice 

 floes; at least Arctic Foxes have often been seen 

 drifting in the ocean on these natural ships and they 

 have been found in great numbers as the only non- 

 aquatic mammals on islands which ' are quite dis- 

 tant from any others, under such conditions that 

 the only reasonable explanation of their presence 

 was that they had immigrated in former times. • 



Life and Only before a storm or when he deems 

 Habits of Arc- himself insecure, the Arctic Fox retires 



tic Foxes, into caverns in the rocks or into bur- 

 rows which he has himself scooped out; and then 

 he sallies forth to prey only at night; but in locali- 

 ties where he is not obliged to hide from Man even 

 in daytime, he does not take the trouble to dig bur- 

 rows or pits, but lies in wait for prey under stones 

 and bushes and in other sirpilar places. He is not 

 fastidious in his feeding but is content with any 

 animal food. Mice are his favorite game; and he 

 often follows the armies of Lemmings for a long 

 distance and pursues them persistently, even if he 

 has to cross rivers and other large bodies of water 

 in doing so. Among the birds he preys on Snow 

 Birds and other birds of the sea and its shore, and 

 is especially destructive to the young broods. He 

 also claims all the animals that are washed ashore. 



Arctic Foxes are frequently encountered in packs; 

 yet no great peace prevails among them, as bloody 

 combats often take place which afford an amusing 

 spectacle to the looker-on. One animal will seize 

 another, which he throws to the ground, tramples 

 under foot and keeps down until he thinks he has 

 bitten his antagonist enough. During the whole 

 performance the champions scream like Cats and 

 signify their excitement by shrill howls. 



Elliott's H. Elliott, who explored Behring Is- 

 Obseruations of land and investigated the existence of 



Arctic Foxes, fur-producing animals and the methods 

 of hunting them, gives us many details about the 

 Arctic Fox. He tells us that the inhabitants of Attu, 

 the westernmost island of the Aleutes, have inten- 

 tionally imported the blue Fox into their country 

 and breed him there, so to speak, in liberty and in a 

 pure way. The common Red Fox had already been 

 exterminated on Attu when the inhabitants brought 

 the beautiful blue Arctic Foxes from the Pribylow 

 Islands. Other less valuable Foxes cannot reach 

 this remote island, for not even the ice furnishes 

 them with a bridge; and besides this the inhabitants 

 guard carefully against the deterioration of the race 

 of their Foxes; consequently no detrimental cross- 

 breeding can take place and the beauty of the furs 

 of their blue Foxes, of which the inhabitants of Attu 

 sell from two to three hundred annually, is beyond 

 reproach and is universally acknowledged. 



Arctic Foxes The breeding season of the Arctic Fox 

 and Their lasts through April and May. In the 

 Young. middle or latter part of July the female 

 gives birth to from nine to ten or even twelve young 

 ones in some cavern or crevice of a rock. She 

 makes her lair preferably on a mountain or at its 

 edge. The mother Foxes love their little ones 



