of the Mackenzie River District, 15 



good load for the others. Their life is a hard one, far worse 

 than that of a tinker's jackass, a blow or a kick is the usual 

 caress bestowed upon them by their master. Their food is most- 

 ly the excrement and offal of the camp, hare-skins and paws, and 

 any other trash too wretched for the far from nice stomach of a 

 Chippewayan Indian. I have seldom or ever seen a fat dog 

 among the natives. They make very good hounds to follow deer 

 or moose on the crust of the snow in spring ; for though they 

 have not sufficient strength to bring down these animals them- 

 selves, they retard their progress sufficiently to allow the approach 

 of the hunter. I have seen some tolerable retrievers among them 

 also. 



I will now conclude this article by offering a just tribute to tha 

 affectionate disposition, and kindly habits of this poor and ill- 

 used " friend of man." Scanty fare, harsh treatment and want, 

 seem to make little difference in his love, and these miserable 

 starvelino-s shew as much if not more affection for their hard- 

 hearted and tyrannical master, than do the pampered and petted 

 favourites of European old maidenhood. 



Sub-Family. — Vulpine . 



Gen. ch. Pupil of the eye elliptical ; head slender ; upper incisors 

 scarcely lobed ; post-orbital process of the frontal bone bent but little 

 downwards, the anterior edge turned up ; a longitudinal shallow 

 pit or indentation at its base. 



VuLPES FuLvus. — Common American Fox, {Desm). 

 Var. A. FulvuSj Red Fox. 

 " B. Decussafus, Cross Fox. 

 " C. ArgentatiLSj Silver Fox. 



Sp. ch. Hair long, silky and soft. Tail very full, composed of 

 an under fur with long hairs distributed uniformly along it. Dis- 

 tance in red variety between hairs, 6j inches. Tail with white 

 tip, feet and ears black. 



Var. Fulvus. Reddish-yellow; back behind grizzled with 

 greyish. Throat and narrow line on the belly white. Ears be- 

 hind and tips of caudal hairs (except terminal brush) black. 



Var. Decussafus. Muzzle and under parts with legs blacky 

 Tail blacker than in the other variety. A dark band between 

 the shoulder, crossed by another over the shoulder. 



Var, Argentatus. Entirely black except on the posterior part 



