The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-03-26
I Yes, sometimes.
" Did you ever see female fox alone
at her nest?'

Les SOIuCllIuCS.
Did you ever see female fox alone
at her nest?'
yes; but old fox close by
"In fact, that is the burden OF the
testimony Of all the woodsmen with
whom | have talked on the subject
They have observed certain facts which
logically interpreted, illustrate and en-
force the peculiarly homogeneous ma
ture of the fox Moreover, like a good
husband as | believe him to be, the
fox has other excellent qualities, which
have used in my story, as, for in
stance. what call his storage habit
Reynard Not Thief.
with us, of course, the fox has bad
name for the stealing of chicken. The
blame that attaches to him for this
habit is out of all proportion to what
he actually does. Instead of being
nuisance to the farmer the fox is real
~ a great help, since his chief prey,
what he really lives on, is the field
mouse have watched the foxes on
the prairies through long-range tele.
scope catching the mice in their nests
in the long grass, and I know from
other observations and testimony that
mice are the chief article of food for
the fox. Fancy what the result would
be to our farmers and their crops il
| 1t were not for this fondness for a
mouse diet on the part OF foxes and
wolves! The fact is that there are
very few animals in our woods that
are really noxious. We ought to pre-
serve all our native animals from ex-
tinctfon, while banishing as much as
possible such nuisances as the rat and
the sparrow. The greatest nuisance of
all is the domestic cat, which kills
more small game than all the poachers
put together-but it would probably be
difficult to Danish the cat from the
United States"
Reynard is depicted, undoubtedly, as
a thoroughly exemplary fox and hus.
band in the story which will bear his
name down to posterity But glimpse
OF the long-necked, brown-and-black
geese amicably aoundering among the
leaves on the lawn in front of the pic
turesque house which forms the center
of things at Wyndgoul recalled the
claim for these birds to the possession
OF an even more homogeneous mono
gamy than the fox. After all, if these
claims are true, Reynard merely VOWS,
like most mortals who undertake this
particular contract until death do us
part" But the goose, according to his
reported Interpretation of the Ten Com
mandments, Incorporates no limiting
clause when he goes through the cere-
mony of entering upon the marriage
state. 1t is now and forever" with
these dauntless animals when they do
decide upon wedlock. Curiosity as to
the authenticity of this bit of anserine
sociology suggested a query.
Yes" answered Mr.. Seton. family
times are peculiarly strong in the case
! OF the goose. Of course there may be
individual variations from one main
race-habit, as occurs among all ami
mails; but as a rule have found that
the goose practises a more rigid mon
ogamy than even the fox or the pigeon.
Most of these geese at Wyndygoul, are
descendants from one couple, brought
here when took the place eight years
ago, and the original gander is still
recognized as the grandfather of the
flock by the others. They come and
go as he calls them, and in order to in
sure the return of the flock from any
place to which it's various members
might be tempted to fly have clipped
this patriarchal gander's wings-and
his devoted grandchildren, never leav-
ing him, never leave Wyndygoul for
any appreciable distance or time
The Ever-FaithfuIs Goose.
las for the extreme sentiments OF
monogamy which have claimed for
wild geese can cite one clean-cut in
stance from this very flock. Three or
four years ago the husband of female
goose died. For year and half at
ter that event l tried to induce the
widowed goose to take another mate,
but without success She remained
single during. that time and declined to
enter upon any intimacies with any OF
her companions. Seeing that it was
hopeless to overcome her fidelity to her
dead mate | then gave her to the Bronx
zoo-and hlve not heard from Mr..
Hornaday since then as to whether she
has persisted IN her desire to remain
single-but can vouch for the year
and a half OF faithful Widowhond. -