when trapping animals for
breeding purposes, to catch them before this time, or at such a length
of time after the birth of the young, that there will be no danger of
their starving in case they are not captured along with the mother. Even
if the very young animals are taken from the den, there is danger of
them suffering from careless handling, or from not receiving proper
care. It is better to catch the female animals before the young are
born.

* * * * *

Another box trap that is a good one, is described by an Illinois trapper
as follows:

"I here enclose a sketch for making a trap for catching mink which I
have used for years, and think it can't be beat. Make a box 22 inches
long, 5 inches wide, and 6 inches high out of inch lumber; bore a hole
at the back for the string (D) to pass through, which is tied to a bait
at (E) and fastened at the other end to a heavy wire (C), on top of the
box, which holds the sliding door (A), when set. A couple of strips (B)
are nailed on each side to hold the door in place. This is a good trap
for mink that are afraid of steel traps. For bait use a rabbit's head
tied securely to the string, also a few drops of good scent put on the
bait, and set near the mouth of some tiles or wherever mink abound."

[Illustration: Another Box Trap.]

This trap, as well as all the box-traps in this chapter, are recommended
for catching such animals as skunk, coon, mink, and opossum, alive and
uninjured, for stocking "fur-farms."

Muskrat can be caught in these traps by baiting and setting where they
feed, or on runways from one pond to another.

Animals caught in these traps can be carried with safety to both catcher
and animal, to the enclosure, before taking out of the trap.

CHAPTER V.

FOX RAISING.

The foxes of North America are divided by naturalists into only three
distinct groups or species, namely, the red, the gray and the Arctic
foxes. Of these, the red species is divided into a number of varieties,
among which are the Nova Scotia Red Fox, the Newfoundland Red Fox and
the Western Kit or Swift Fox, etc.

The black, cross and silver foxes are commonly supposed to be only color
varieties of the red, there being no difference whatever, except in the
fur. While naturalists all agree on this subject there is considerable
difference of opinion among others who give as proof that they are of a
different species, the fact that the black, cross an