Vol. XV pp. 73-74 March 22, 1902 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THREE NEW FOXES OF THE KIT AND DESERT 



FOX GROUPS. 



BY C. HART MERRIAM. 



The collections of the U. S. Biological Survey contain Kit 

 Foxes from the plains from Alberta to Colorado; and long-eared 

 Foxes from the deserts of New Mexico, and thence westerly to 

 the interior of California. The study of this material shows 

 that the Canadian Kit Fox should be separated as a subspecies 

 from Vulpes velox, that the Desert Fox of New Mexico and 

 western Texas is a strongly marked subspecies of V. macrotis, 

 and that the one inhabiting the San Joaquin Valley is a distinct 

 species, as follow: 



Vulpes velox hebes subsp. nov. 



Type from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. No. 108,255 $ yg. ad., U. S. 

 National Museum, Biological Survey Collection. Collected October 8, 

 1900 by Mackay and Dippie. Original No. 560(2890x). 



Characters. — Similar to velox but decidedly larger and slightly grayer; 

 dark patches on sides of nose darker; skull larger and heavier; palate 

 much longer; underjaw longer, heavier, more bellied under sectorial 

 tooth; coronoid processes higher. Young in September with back of 

 head and middle of back very red. 



Measurements. — Type specimen, $ : total length 844; tail vertebrae 

 312; hind foot 130. Average of 4 males from the type locality: total 



1&-BIOL. SOC. WASH. VOL. XV, 1903. (78^ 



