THE DOMESTICATED SILVER EOX. 



25 



The intestinal worms infesting foxes are difficult to eradicate. 

 Probably more young foxes succumb to the effects of roundworms 

 than to any other cause. These worms are whitish and cylindrical, 

 tapering toward either extremity. Among the symptoms indicating 

 their presence are dullness, barking, frothing at the mouth, dragging 

 the body by the forelegs, and convulsions. The flat, jointed tape- 

 worm, often a foot or more in length, is a less fatal as well as a less 

 common internal parasite, but animals suffering from them are ema- 

 ciated and lack overfur or guard hairs. As a cure for worms one 

 breeder of long experience frequently gives his cubs a meal of crushed 

 flaxseed and milk, alternating now and then with six or eight drops 

 of spirits of turpentine in milk. Another doses his cubs every fort- 

 night after they are four weeks old with a proprietary vermifuge put 

 up in gelatine capsules for puppies and pet dogs, beginning with half 

 the contents of one capsule. Castor oil containing a few drops of 

 turpentine is also recommended. Any remedy administered by hand 

 must be pushed down below the base of the tongue, when it will be 

 involuntarily swallowed. 



A fox sometimes dies from no assignable cause. More often 

 fatalities can be traced to a lack of care or foresight. The dishes 

 from which the animals eat and drink should be washed daily and 

 scalded frequently. The water should be clean and changed daily. 

 The food should be varied and wholesome. Danger from unwhole- 

 some food is well illustrated in the experience of one ranchman who 

 lost several of his choice breeders through feeding them spoiled fish ; 

 and another who lost $100,000 worth of cubs as a result of thought- 

 lessly exposing meat overnight to the fumes of gasoline in his slaugh- 

 terhouse. The appearance of each animal should be critically noted 

 every day. On many of the larger ranches a doctor is regularly em- 

 ployed to look after the health of the stock. In the care of foxes an 

 ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 



IMPROVED STRAINS. 



The fact that domestic animals originated from wild stock and 

 that improved strains have from time to time been secured makes it 

 reasonable to assume that other wild animals can be differentiated 

 and improved by the same method, namely, selective breeding. So 

 far as foxes are concerned, this has already been done. The pioneer 

 fox breeders began with ordinary silvers, which have a tendency to 

 produce red as well as silver progeny. At that time dark pelts were 

 more valuable than light-colored ones. By regidarly disposing of 

 the less desirable cubs and breeding only from the best, the tendency 

 to throw red was soon eliminated and the color of the fur greatly 

 improved. Within 1G years from the time the two pioneer fox 



