The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-11
SOME WAYS OF BR'ER FOX
He Is nm Observant Creature, and HIS
Way ofGcttinE over the Ground Is
Unique.
(From the Hartford Times.)


was once bali jokingly assured by an
old fox hunter that the red fox never ran
that he was blown along by the wind;
and Just used his legs 10 guide himself
with and after observing a good many
foxes confess know OF no active verb
which adequately describes their move
ments. Even greyhound is clumsy
numbering animal when compared with
fox. Not that underground cannot cover
the ground faster but there is certain
lightness OF foot in the wild GeAture
which is not even suggested by any dog
unless 1t be wellbTed and well-trAined
collie. A puff OF reddish smoke or a
loose ball of tawny fur blown along close
to hut not quite touoning the ground,
would suggest the movement OF Ie1 fox
as nearly as anything 1 can think Of.
Our early education concerning this
animal usually begins with some nursery
rhyme, in which 'Rsynard" figures as
poultry thief. In my own case, re-
member, 1 was taught that
"A fox went ont one winter s night, !"
and that after an interesting series of ad-
ventures, in which he stole the gray
.
ne finally got back to his den, where
"He and his wife ate the gray goose,
And the little ones picked the bones."
In this. as in many other nursery
rhymes, there Is as much truth as non
sense for no one can say that the fox
Gets mis- Information concerning the
poultry yard at second hand. he studies
the habits of the inmates perhaps more
carefully than the farmer does. Particu-
/ ulv ho eefu affanftOn their
habits. IL some silly little duokling is
fond OF straying off, the fox knows It,
and ne won't forget That dncRling. III
some old fool OF a hen thinks It smart to
roost outside in n tree, instead OF going
into the coop, the fox will quickly put
her on his visiting list, ana some fine
night when she has perched on branch
rather lower than usual, he VIII call
around to see her. He can leap to Gun
siderable height when he wants 10, ana
even II ne 3an't quite reach the hen, ne
will make her so nervous that sne Will
probably fly, and come laundering to the
ground in the darkness. The fox cubs
will be introduced to her later in the
evening, probably, ana she will never
answer the roll call any more.
But he is very cautious. when out on an
expedition OF this or any other kind, and
the man who invented the expression
las cunning as a fox" knew what he
was talking about. Reynard distrusts
everything, particularly man and all his
works. He Will not even believe the I'M
supported testimony OF one OF his own
senses. III his eyes tell that certain
thing is safe " he must have the assur-
arcs OF his nose and ears as well before
he Will believe 1t, This is why ne Is so
seldom caught In traps. he Is caught
this way, sometimes, hut not often
enough to warrant any ones sitting mp
to wait for MIN.
But the harnyaru Is only one OF his
many sources OF food supply. be is very
fond of wild mice OF different kinds, rats,
SQUIRRELS and rabbits. These he catches In
yArious ways. Sometimes he lies con-
oeaIed near the mouth of woodchuok's
or ohipmunk's burrow. and waits
patiently until the proprietor puts In an
appearance. At other times he scents
his prey from O distance, and after fol-
lowing IL up, In the manner OF a pointer
dog, suddenly leaps upon 1t. lie prefers
stratagem to direct pursuit. but when
he cares TO be bothered with chasing any
thing, he can generally give IL pretty
good run for It's life.
He ia a keen observer, too. and very
little goes on around him that he does
not know something about. AS he passes
through "a msadow, his quick eye marks
the movement or each clump OF grass,
and he makes a mental note OF the cause
of the movement. "Ihat one was moved
by the wind" he says to himself; THAT
was an earthworm, but that Jump
ing suddenly sidewise, and bringing his
forepaws down close together) was
mouse" And SO, of course. 1t proves to
be-; he knew 1t before he jumped just as
we'll as when he wedged his sharp nose
between his paws ana 0obbled up the
IuoKless little rodent which was dead
before 1t had time to squeak. lie catches
grasshoppsrs and crickets, too, by leaping
upon them with his paws and he some
&ts,,.,u ~. oinox ont fufO shallow water and
seiZss wild fowl lying asleep on its sur
face.
While he shows great ingenuity in
catching his prey he shows still more In
avoiding capture himself. In England
where fox hunting is perhaps the most
characteristic sport of the people there
are innumeraole stories OF the art and
cunning displayed by Reynard in out
whiting the dogs. He frequently misIeads
them by doubling on his own trail, and
in localities near the coast he will often
travel for q long distance, through the
surf, which OF course destroys the scent
at once.
Ths American red fox does the same
thing, Like Els slightly smaller English
cousin he has wonderful endurance, and
he, too, can give the hunters and hounds
long chase and often beats them out at
the end.
The home of the red fox is usually a
neat ana often quite extensive burrow,
generally having two or three openings
Here the young ars born in February,
March or April As rule there are from
four to six of these youngsters, but oc-
oasionally there ara as many as seven.
They are blind at birth and for some time
are covered with soft, woolly, reddish
coIored fur. When they are very young
the mother stays with them mos5 OF the
TINA, the father alone going out for the
food. by and ny the young ones begin
to come cut OF the den on warm after
moons, to play about and gain strength,