The Newfoundland Otter and Red Fox. 37 



Color* — Type in 'red phase.' Pelage extremely long and loose. Upper 

 parts pale ocher yellow, to straw color, becoming darker and more rusty 

 on inside of flanks, about shoulder, and on sides of face. Under parts 

 dull white, including a narrow border to upper lip, the color of the upper 

 parts extending down over sides and nearly meeting across middle of 

 belly ; chin dull brown ; feet and hands black above as far as ankles and 

 wrists, dull brownish yellow below, and densely haired with long loose 

 hair, entirely obscuring the pads. 



Tail short, pale, dull yellow with white tip, and irregularly overlaid in 

 places with black tipped hairs ; ears large and more rounded than in V. 

 pennsylvanica, very thickly covered with woolly hairs, dull black above, 

 yellowish white inside, and yellow at base. Under fur dull yellowish 

 gray at base and yellow at tips, darker on flanks, rump, and under side 

 of neck, and paler on back, shoulders, and belly. 



No. 1178, 9 very old ; is a fine silver gray, being black all over except 

 the back, which is beautifully variegated with silvery hairs. No. 6969, 

 9 young adult, is a patch fox, being dark reddisli brown all over, includ- 

 ing tail, legs, and arms, except sides, top of head, parts of middle of back, 

 and base of tail, where it has some yellow hairs intermixed. No. 6968, 

 old nursing 9 . is about intermediate in color between the type and No. 

 6969, but has base of tail, inside of flanks, and region about fore shoulders 

 a bright orange ochraceous. It is in worn pelade, with much of the long 

 hair gone. A young, about one-third grown, No. 1180, is uniform deep 

 black all over, tip of tail white, and a young, about one-half grown, No. 

 1179, is dull brownish ferruginous, with much black on legs, arms, tail, 

 and under parts. 



Cranial characters. — The skull differs but little from that of typical Vulpes 

 pennsylvanica, except in being slightly wider and heavier and in having 

 the whole rostral portion rather heavier and the audita! bullae constantly 

 though slightly larger. The dentition is very much heavier throughout, 

 the carnassial teeth in particular being very large and strong. 



Measurements. — Type, $ middle-aged adult. Total length 959; tail 

 vertebrae 336 ; hind foot 161 ; ear from notch 79. Average of four adult 

 females: total length 958.5; tail vertebrae 342.5 ; hind foot 158 ; ear from 

 notch 78. 



skull.— Type, $ middle-aged adult. Basal length 123.4; zygomatic 

 breadth 72; mastoid breadth 47; least interorbital width 26.2; greatest 

 length of single half of mandible 99.8. No. 6968, 9 old adult topotype. 

 Basal length 123 ; zygomatic breadth 72.8 ; mastoid breadth 46 ; least in- 

 terorbital width 26.6; greatest length of single half of mandible 99.6. 

 cT young adult topotype. Basal length 127.2; zygomatic breadth 70.2; 

 mastoid breadth 46 ; least interorbital width 26 ; greatest length of single 

 half of mandible 101.4. 



*A11 red foxes are somewhat brighter and more ferruginous in their 

 fresh autumnal coats than they are in the spring. The hairs seem to be- 

 come rather lighter and more yellowish as the tips wear off. This dif- 

 ference is slight, however, and even in full autumnal pelage the ' red 

 phase ' of the Newfoundland fox must be very pale. 



