Oxford eagle., 1890-12-18
TAME NORTHERN FOXES.
sPec.nl@nt OF Ca-ious Btrds and Animals
Pound on Alaskan I.iAnsis

sPcc-msns OF Curious Birds and Animal.
Found on Alaskan Islands
Henry w Elliott United States
Treasury agent At the fur seal Islands in
Behring Sea, has Just returned 70 his
home IN the East after an absence o.
several months at his post Of duty. Mr..
I'll OFT will Immediately begin the prep
arasiou OF his report on the condition
and prospects OF the fur seal fishery.
William Palmer, of the National Muse
un- Washington. has also returned from
n summers collecting with Mr Elliott.
and he Is enthHS aSric about the strange
sights ot the far-awAy Territory and the
splend d opportunity for making natural
history observations and collections
Mr.. Palmer has secured a very vaIua-
bic series Of skins % birds and man
mails living on the island og ST Paul
Among she b ris there - one that has
never before been recorded from Amer
lean territory Itsa spec es % cuckoo
native 70 tie Asiatic continent and
will prove \ treasure in the National
collection as It vas great source %
Qualification 20 Mr. Palmer. and a fine
reward fer his arfuous toll in securing
L. To beE.n with, the b. I'd was found
near seal rookery. ami shooting " th
an ordinary gun was strictly forbidden.
Ths rooifery was at the extreme north
east point q the isiand aad the col
lectors care gun was az the other end.
about fifteen miles away Those who
have visited Southern Alaska can form
an idea of the t0.I involved IN 4 walk OF
thirty miles over the cough and yield
ing surface Of 81 PaaI Island. but Mr.
Palmer Nas determined % have the new
bird if persistent effort could win il,
and be actually maize the -ouruey. re-
turned % the lec1Atv FREQ n ted By the
cuckoo. and after i great many tan
ta.iziHg failures, secured the prsx
Foxes were So tame At the time % his
visit that they often circulated about
ann cut Of sAeer curiosity. barking de-
h&uce at distance ol on y a few feet
One very Gae example. ga to unlike any
thing seen b. the natives before. and
probably i cross between the blue and
the y To- fox, is among the rarIttes Of
4 collection Tn fox was killed after
NEST Nest.rs-e experience- Nr Palmer
bcgau firirg at him with bis cane run at
a distance of hfty yards. bus could not
bring thc bullet aHi the an mai into the
desired con unctlou. and the fox was
very much In terested n IKE wh " OF the
bal Whenever bullet came near
enough be wou' q bark fur ou.,Iv and run
round N q clrcie, seeking 10 Discover the
cause of rae strange noise. the gunner
being ent rel Y concealed beh nd some
tai grass On oae % the sanf dunes
Gradually the FOX drew nearer 10 the
unseen hunter. and every thing seemed
% Foln. 20 4 speedy AMI successful ter
ulinatiou o. tie hunt. bat un.ucxilv. IN
trying Go remove tight she'll. 8.r.
Palmer pulled oH tae head. leaving the
cylinder n the h-pach- then ha,ra.n 4
lively struggle to extract tho she.l N a
bury The eNc. tcme nt ssas So intense.
however. traits fOx APPROACHED a. most
with n an. length before the atstruc-
tlon was Eo-iea r-d OF ana nevs cart
ridge inserted. lken Whiie the fox vas
ehatrer-Hs away most earnestly. Mr
Palmer. not wishing 10 spoil the skull.
TOOK aim behind the foreles. but the
ballet ranging 4 little too fsr ahead.
crashed tk-oa-h the cps without xIiI-
ing the sa-rl.. vh-eh struggled OF be-
al a --4za a.1e and vs. apparently
lose teYoat zeesserv Tae collector.
however. e=rcze'I araGui p direction
opposite to f4as taken - re fox AMI
uae Spfcze'i. g came aPoa him at very
shsrt range. an ta-s tlme sent bullet
squa-eiy into one of Us eyes AMI ended
the singular chase. Young foxes were
frequently seen. bus we're 4 tiieuIt to
kllt before escaping into their burrows
Forest 1ud stream