32 The Fox 



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, 

 lugging over bits of sticks, or sometimes over their 

 food, and jumping about their mother, especially 

 when she was lying upon the grass. Sometimes the 

 mother fox would play with them much after the 

 fashion of a dog. Twice I saw the male fox at the den. 



We are told that sometimes live mice and occasion- 

 ally other animals are brought to the den for the 

 little foxes to play with and later to feast upon. Only 

 once did I see anything of this kind, the victim in 

 this instance being a young woodchuck. It was 



