AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
29 
notice on the late expeditions.”* This at once over- 
throws Pennant’s account, and proves that the Fox he 
described as the same with the European, was in reality 
the V. fulvus. As to the first tradition, given by Kalin, 
none of the Indian tribes inhabiting New England could, 
possibly, possess any knowledge of the state of the sea to 
the north, as to this day, the tribes dwelling even 20 de- 
grees nearer its shores, are wholly ignorant of it; added to 
which, the intermediate nations have been from time im- 
memorial at war with their neighbours. As regards the 
introduction of common Foxes into our country from Eu- 
rope, for the purposes of hunting, we confess we are scep- 
tical, though we cannot absolutely deny the fact. But, 
even granting that they were thus introduced, it would by 
no means account for the great numbers of these animals 
which are now to be found, without allowing that their 
prolific powers have wonderfully increased by their change 
of climate. There is some discrepancy of opinion among 
authors, as to the colour of the tip of the tail in the com- 
mon Fox: Linnaeus, and most other writers, say it is 
white, whilst Desmarest asserts it is black. This part in 
the red Fox, as far as we can ascertain, is invariably 
whitish or white, and never black. 
Since we commenced this investigation, we have ex- 
amined a great number of skins of red Foxes, and inva- 
riably found all those which were acknowledged to be 
American, of one species, the fulvus. Without relying 
on our own researches alone, we have asked the opinion of 
others, and have found that our ideas were confirmed by 
those who have had ample opportunities for information on 
the subject. Mr. T. Peale permits us to state, that during 
his excursions, and among the various specimens he has 
seen, he has never met with the common Fox as occurring 
in the United States. None of the cabinets in this city even 
contain a specimen of the V. vulgaris. 
The red Fox is about two feet, to two feet and a half, in 
length; the tail, with the fur, about sixteen inches; height, 
from fourteen to eighteen inches. It burrows in the sum- 
mer, and in winter sometimes takes shelter in the hollow 
of a tree, or under one which has fallen. Their usual 
haunts are in dense thickets, where they are with difficulty 
followed. The female brings forth in the spring, and has 
from four to five at a litter. The young are covered at 
birth with a soft downy fur, of a yellowish gray colour, 
the ferruginous hair not appearing till they are from five to 
six weeks old. When taken at an early age, this species 
may be domesticated to a certain degree, though they 
always retain some of their savage propensities. Dr. 
Richardson says he procured four cubs, a fortnight old, 
* Richardson, Faun. am. bor. 97. 
which were thought by the hunters to be the cross variety, 
but which eventually proved the common red Fox. These 
little creatures began very early to burrow in the sandy 
floor of the house in which he kept them, and to conceal 
themselves during the day. They, however, were very 
tame, and would come on being called, taking food from 
the hand and carrying it to their places of concealment, 
never eating when overlooked. 
A young one was also suckled at the Philadelphia Mu- 
seum, by a cat, who continued to nurse it for several 
weeks, when it was killed by a fall. They are unpleasant 
pets, from the fetor of their urine somewhat resembling 
that of the skunk. The red Fox, besides his depredations 
on the poultry yards, likewise preys on smaller animals of 
the rat kind, rabbits, &c. ; he is also fond of fish, and, in 
fact, rejects no kind of animal food that comes in his way. 
His flesh is rank and ill tasted, and is eaten only through 
necessity. 
The red Fox resembles his European congener, in his 
craftiness and cunning, exhibiting the same wiles to escape 
pursuit, and the same instinctive cautiousness of traps and 
snares. It is said, that the red Fox of the present day is 
killed in a much shorter time, and with more certainty, 
than formerly. When pursued, they are more apt to for- 
sake their haunts, and run for miles in one direction, than 
the gray, which is often killed, even after a severe chase, 
near the place from which it first set out. In this respect, 
the latter is more analogous to the European. The red 
Fox hunts for its food chiefly in the night time, but is also 
frequently seen in the day. In the winter season, their 
tracks are frequent on the borders of lakes and ponds, 
which they quarter somewhat like a pointer dog. They 
turn aside to almost every stump or twig appearing above 
ground, and void their urine on it. 
Various methods are made use of to entrap these suspi- 
cious animals, as steel or box traps, and falls made of logs, 
&c. ; but much nicety is required in setting them, or the 
Fox will avoid them. A very neat and successful mode of 
fixing a steel trap, has been described to us. After having 
fixed on a place which they frequent, the trap is to be 
opened and its exact form traced on the ground, and as 
mqch earth removed as will contain it without pressure; 
the sod removed from the top is to be laid over it, and the 
lines of separation covered with mould, and grass stuck in 
it. A bait of cheese is to be placed above, and in two or three 
places in the neighbourhood, and it is better to bait the 
spot in which the trap is set, for some days previous, to 
remove all fear. Some of the best trappers ascribe their 
success to the use of assafoetida, castoreum, and other 
analogous substances, with which they rub their traps, and 
small twigs set up in the neighbourhood, alleging that 
H 
