REVISION OF THE AMERICAN RED FOXES 660 



Reinarks. — The Alaska red fox is evidently a large form of the 

 small narrow-faced fulvtis group, to which rubricosa belongs. It 

 differs widely from the large-faced group to which harrimatii, kenai- 

 ensis, and regalis belong. It is closely related to the typical Old 

 World Vulpes vulpes of Sweden and northern Siberia, and appears 

 to serve as a connecting link between this species and the small-faced 

 fulvus group of eastern North America. It may be distinguished 

 from vulpes^ with which it agrees in size, by the following characters : 

 rostrum more swollen immediately in front of orbits, more constricted 

 laterally, shorter and more upturned anteriorly ; bullae larger ; basioc- 

 cipital narrower ; zygomata broader and more spreading ; postorbital 

 constriction less deep ; incisive foramina shorter ; anterointernal cusp 

 of upper carnassial more prominent and forming a more decided angle 

 with body of tooth; crowns of upper premolars usually longer an- 

 teroposteriorly. Compared with V. abietoriim from Stuart Lake and 

 Whitemud, the rostrum ;^is much shorter and slightly broader ; bullje 

 slightly smaller; upper carnassial (and usually lower also) more 

 swollen. Compared with V. fulvus ixomt\\Q eastern United States, 

 alascensis is larger ; the fur of the neck and fore-back is longer and 

 fuller, forming a sort of ruff ; the tail very much longer and larger ; ears 

 smaller ; face redder or more rusty, especially around eyes and over 

 bridge of nose ; black of feet greatly reduced, as already described. 



VULPES ALASCENSIS ABIETORUM subsp. nov. 

 . Typeixom. Stuart Lake, British Columbia. Skull No. 71 197 Z ad., 

 U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Coll. Winter of 1893- 

 1894, A. C. Murray. ' Silver fox.' 



Range. — Interior of British Columbia and probably southeastern 

 Alaska. 



Characters. — External characters unknown. The skull is generally 

 like that of alasceJisis but lighter, longer, and more slender. Skulls 

 of adult males resemble those of V. regalis but may be distinguished 

 by the much smaller teeth. 



Skull. — Similar to alascensis but longer, more slender, and less 

 massive ; rostrum decidedly longer and narrower ; bullae usually lar- 

 ger ; carnassials (particularly the upper ones), and usually the ist 

 upper molars also, more slender. Compared with V. regalis., with 

 which the males agree closely in length, the posterior part of the skull 

 is longer, the rostrum even more slender, and the sexual differences 

 less marked ; compared with skulls of the same sex of regalis., the 

 males have smaller bullae and decidedly smaller carnassials and molars ; 



