The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-10-21

with man. He still distrusts and
Tears mankind in general but is quick
70 respond to care and attention from
the individual.
Foxes are mated In pairs. Mating
usually endures for the lifetime of
the animals. Each pair occupies a
space about 80 feet square inclosed
ny q special owe wire fence. The
Enclosure has q woven wire partition.
shutting on about one-third the area
OF the pen when occasion demands.
A concrete foundation for the pen
walls is sunk to about 80 inches be-
low the ground to circumvent the
fox's desire to dig himself out. Where
the soil demands. a piece of woven
wire about Is inches wide is laid fat
below the surface of the pen floor
Just inside the walls as an added pre-
caution. The fox starts operations
close to the obstruction. His engin-
eering does not quite run to starting
a few feet back.
The mating season is In January,
and 81 days later the young are
born. During this time the fox and
his mate, particularly the latter, ex-
hibit those traits Of character which
In human beings are placed under
the head Of temperament. Tempers
are short. and trifing annoyances be-
come causes Of prolonged irritable
ness, while fear may easily become
panic. Visitors are excluded from
January until early Summer.
As their main residence. the pair
select the largest den. This is a two
roomed affair, the inner sleeping
chamber being double-walled with a
packing Of sawdust or ground cork
between the walls to insure the litter
against cold. The outer or living
room has a single wall only but is
weather-tight, a are all the dens.
Some ingenuity Is required to devise
ingress and exit. The fox idea re-
| quires that the real entrance to his
living quarters be placed as far as
possible from the dwelling itself and
with NJ apparent relationship be-
tween the front door and the dwell
ing. To humor this idiosyncrasy.
ranchers have reproduced as nearly
as possible the hollow log which the
wild fox finds SO convenient for dis
| guising the entrance to his den.
Once settled, the fox and vixen
find 1t ample for a home. The other
two dens are used only for lounging.
| Near the time of maternity, the ner-
| vousness and anxiety Of the parents
is evidenced by quarrels Of high fire.
quency and tension. 1t Is frequent
ly necessary to isolate the fox. He is
| driven into the partitioned-off space.
| All openings are closed and father
fox spends several weeks of enforced
bachelorhood. The vixen left alone
| finds solitude more or less sedative.
| She Is constantly under observation
/ by the caretaker guardian In the
watch tower, and when she emerges
from the den exhibiting nervous ex-
element he knows that a new family
has arrived. He knows. too. just
what will serve to calm her excite
ment and as quickly as possible he
gets a live chicken or pigeon. wrings
| it's neck and losses II to the vixen.
| The rendipg of warm flesh affords an
| outlet for the vixen's i~rritableness
and quiets the condition, SC
that she can give attention to the
puppies. In a few days the closed
runways are opened and the fox Tam
lily circle restored. From then n the
fox and vixen find their time fully
and joyfully occupied.
After the birth of the litter. the
need for the third den becomes ap-
parent. AS soon as possible, the
caretaker lifts the top of the large
den to count the litter and to put the
| den in a sanitary condition. This
act the suspicion of the vixen
She seems to feel that the entire
world has besn let in on the secret OF
| the location Of her wonderful new
family and decides to hide them
anew. The third den offers a on
yenient hiding place. Without 1t. the
vixen would undoubtedly attempt to
dig out a den for hiding her puppies
which might result in the death OF
some from exposure.
Foxes are fed chiefly with cereals
and milk, the old ones receiving meat
twice daily. The meat. chiefly beef
with occasional allowances OF poui-
try. is fed clean and sweet though
mostly a little tough. and at no time
are scraps and remnants allowed to
remain about the pen. The eating
and drinking vessels for the foxes
are kept Immediately clean and ev-
cry precaution taken to keep the Nv
ing quarters sanitary. The silver
black will eat almost anything n
thrive under any conditions. but mod
ern ranchers whose stock consists OF
@An0 IN