SAM) DUNES AND SALT :\IAESHES 



a snow-drift. As I cautiously approached, a 

 splendid fellow bounded out and fled to the 

 peaked top of a dune several hundred yards 

 away, where he dehberately sat down to watch 

 me. I retui-ned the compliment by levelling 

 my binoculars on him, and foimd he was not 

 the common red fox, but of the color-j^hase 

 known as the cross fox. As I was watching 

 him a flock of snow buntings swirled about 

 him like a miniature snow-squall. He 

 crouched low, with his eyes upon them, but 

 they avoided the trap and swept on. 



At another time I heard sounds of anger 

 and indignation from the mouths of crows, 

 and discovered three or four of these birds 

 in the act of mobbing a fox, who, however, 

 sauntered along, apparently not a whit dis- 

 turbed, with his brush held straight out be- 

 hind. 



One can learn a good deal about the ways 

 of the fox from these tracks without ever 

 catching sight of the animal. Another source 

 of information is the droppings, which are 

 easily recognized and are common in the 

 dunes. As these are made uj) largely of fur 

 and feathers, and have been exposed to the 

 purifying action of the sun and sand, they 



52 



