Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-04
THE FOX FAMILY
Bv sAMITEr. sCov1TI,E. Jr.


You may have read how difficut II Il
been able to do this, but on May is
found two foxes asleep
over by Darby Creek ls a deep little
valley through which a tiny brook runs
The lower end OF the valley broadens
into beautiful beechwood On that
afternoon I was coming back from an ALL
day tramp and following n wood road
which ran beside the brook on the hill
side not 30 feet away I suddenly saw a
cub fox. He was yellow and woolly, with
gray stripe down his breast and had a
funny little face with big ears. When I
first saw him he was standing on bank,
In front Of what I afterward found out
was a triple burrow. three holes In line
with another secret entrance under the
roots OF a tree probably all running
into the main burrow / stood perfectly
still among the trees. and the wind was
blowing toward me so that he could To-
cate me neither by sound nor scent. Sud
denly he stood up and yapped with a
snarlng note like a cross little dog. Down
the hillside came Sinking along the
mother fox. She was very gaunt and
thin, and looked exactly like the pic
tudes OF the wolf in RED Riding Hood"
Behind her came another cub and when
the first cub yapped at him he turned
one OF the burrows and | did not see
him again. The mother fox trotted to
one side and seemed to disappear. The
little cub then laid down and put his
head on his forepaws. and went to sleep
with his eyes all wrinkled up In such a
funny way that It made me laugh as I
watched him l tiptoed to one side TO sec
IL l could get q glimpse Of the mother
fox. and, sure enough, there she lay on
n great chestnut log which was evidently
her watch tower. also fast asleep, with
her head on her forepaws.
walked back and forth several times
and watched them both fast asleep for
some little time. The little cub would
wake up occasionally and nibble n piece
Of grass. Then / tried TO see how near
could get to him. l was half an hour
walking 30 feet The way was covered
with leaves and in spite Of my care
would make some tiny sound. At every
step tho little fox would spring to his
feet and look directly at me, but evil |
IDENTIFY could not tell me from the trees !
He had a big, dry leaf sticking to his
back and with his woolly coat and prick. |
ed-up ears looked like some funny big |
puppy. Finally l got within 20 feet of |
him and then without sound the old !
mother fox stole down and stood beside .
him about six feet away. / was among
the trees and though they both sensed
me they could not locate me plainly.
turned my eyes to lok at the cub and
when / looked back the old mother fox
was gone
She had not moved, but simply melted
away waited for a long time with
one foot in the air until the little cub
settled down to sleep once more Then
l took another step, but this time he
was evidently watching me out of his
half-shut eyes, for he got up and in
very grave and dlgnlfled manner turned
around and walked into the middle bur
row and never came out | followed the
path and found outside the burrow a dead
crow. several rabbit skins, some chicken
and flicker feathers and other feathers
which seemed to me to be those of a
leron. The place was stamped down hard
and the big watch tower log worn shiny
md there were wide fox paths leading in
III directions.
l have not been back there since, but
ome afternoon soon am intending to
make another call on the Fox Family