io8 The Fox 



this fox family, but of all others which I have ob- 

 served, and I have reason to believe that it is usual 

 among foxes. In other animal families similar re- 

 sults have been observed. As has been stated, foxes 

 raised in a certain locality usually remain near home, 

 probably bringing up their own young within a few 

 miles of the parent den. So, too, with pumas. A 

 single family lives within a given territory and the 

 male and female, as a rule, hunt separately, as do the 

 parent foxes. The female puma is a far better hunter 

 than the male, and when hard pressed for food for 

 her young she becomes very bold and daring. Yet 

 in proportion to her size and strength she does not 

 surpass the mother fox. 



A division of labor between parents is not a fact 

 among the mammals solely; it is common among 

 birds — among some the division being quite equal, 

 while with others it is very unequal. 



This division of care for the little ones of a family 

 must be excellent domestic economy. Certainly my 

 little fox friends were the fattest and glossiest little 

 fellows imaginable. There were six of them, four 

 red and two darker colored ones. It was most 

 interesting to watch these little fellows at play; they 

 would chase each other about, rolling and tumbling, 

 tugging over bits of sticks, or sometimes over their 



