FOXES 



about, one hundred and fifty yards away, and at 

 least fifty yards from the edge of the woods. 



He was apparently coming towards the house, 

 but the opening of the door must have alarmed 

 him, for he instantly became silent, and, turning, 

 ran a little way towards the woods before stop- 

 ping to look back at me, and then went loping off 

 across the snow, keeping mostly in the shadow of 

 the woods, though without actually entering them. 



The sky was perfectly clear and the sun at 

 least an hour and a half high ; but though I 

 was looking towards the east and saw the fox 

 both in sunlight and shadow against a back- 

 ground of snow, I failed to see that he looked 

 much darker by contrast with the white surface, 

 all of which helps to convince me that the one 

 I saw three years ago was actually a black fox. 



But to go back to the gray fox. I have never 

 had any opportunity for observing its habits when 

 at liberty. Those who have, speak of it as the in- 



57 



