58 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



their ribs. This is contrary to a popular, but incorrect, impression that 

 starving makes the hair longer and improves the coat. 



Foxes are killed by crushing the chest walls. They are placed on 

 their sides, and the slaughterer places the sole of his foot immediately 

 behind the foreleg and bears down with his full weight. They are also 

 killed by forcing the head back until the neck breaks. There is a 

 danger that the sheen of the overhair — especially the silver hairs — ^may 

 be somewhat injured with blood and dirt so that clean quarters and 

 methods of killing are essential. 



The information available indicates that the adoption of some more 

 humane method of killing, such as the use of chloroform or ether, would 

 not injure the fur and, at the same time, be far more merciful. A small 

 padded box with a wad of cotton batting in one of the upper corners 

 upon which chloroform could be dropped from a hole in the corner of the 

 box would be all that would be required. As soon as it is dead, the ani- 

 mal should be removed from the chamber. In the case of such a valuable 

 animal as this, it is not too much to expect of ranchers that they pro- 

 vide one of these inexpensive lethal chambers. 



Poisons that are available are: cyanide of potassium, prussic acid, 

 strychnine and white arsenic. A very small quantity of cyanide or of 

 prussic acid will kill the fox instantly, but, as these drugs are exces- 

 sively poisonous, it is dangerous to have them in one's possession unless 

 securely locked up. Strychnine arid white arsenic do not kill imme- 

 diately, and, if another animal ate the flesh of an animal poisoned by 

 them, it would be poisoned in turn. 



The cased method of skinning, described elsewhere, is used.* The 

 only difficulty will be with the forelegs and tail. The forelegs become 

 stiff and hard in a short time and should be turned fur side out after 

 a day or two. If the tail bone is not wholly removed in the first at- 

 tempt, the tail may be slit down the under side. The skins are mar- 

 keted fur side out and are sewed up in muslin and packed flat in a box. 



The condition of the pelt in respect to primeness, proper 

 Silvfr°lox Skin ^^^S, skinning, drying and shipping is important. 



Skins may be blue or unprime; springy, when the 

 hips and shoulders are worn and the hair loose; dirty, shot, chewed, 

 heated, or greasy. In such cases their value is largely decreased. 



The skin value of the live animal may be judged from the follow- 

 ing standards : 



Colour. — Glossy black on neck, and wherever no silver hairs are 

 found. The black must be of a bluish cast all over the body 



*See page 119. 



