THE BLUE FOX 419 



The Arctic Fox, Canis lagojms, is known by its bluish summer 

 and pure white winter dress as " P)lue Fox " and " White Fox " 

 respectively. It is an inhabitant of the Arctic north ; but in 

 former days, as its remains show, it descended to such southern 

 latitudes as Germany and this country. The most southern 

 point which it now inhabits is Iceland. This small Fox is well 

 known as being one of the few animals which change their dress 

 to a complete white in winter. This change is, however, not 

 absolutely universal ; and M. Trouessart has even stated that 

 the supposed change does not exist, but that the colours are a 

 question of age and sex. This Fox feeds on birds and cast-up 

 carcases of Whales and Seals ; it is also said to devour shell-fish, 

 and actually to store up food when abundant for seasons of 

 scarcity. A Fox has been observed to " carry off eggs in his 

 mouth from an eider duck's nest, one at a time, until the whole 

 were removed " ; and in winter to " scratch a hole down through 

 very deep snow to a cache of eggs beneath." These anecdotes 

 are told by Sir Leopold M'Clintock ; but others have also 

 asserted the storing habits of this Fox, which really has only 

 a short time of the year in which it can catch suitable living- 

 food. 



Canis ■vulj^cs, the Fox, is not only a native of England, but 

 extends as far to the east as Egypt, the so-called C. aegyptiacus 

 being at most a mere variety. Varieties indeed occur in these 

 islands ; the English Fox being redder, the Scotch greyer. Not 

 only is the Fox a truly indigenous English beast, but its remains 

 go back a very long way into past time. Its bones occur in the 

 Eed Crag, a deposit of Pliocene times. Its prevalence now is no 

 doubt due to its preservation as a beast of chase. It lives in 

 burrows, either excavating them itself or taking possession of 

 those of some other animal ; the Badger suffers in this way, and 

 is said to be vanquished not by the teeth of the burglarious Fox, 

 but by its far fouler habits ! It is curious that the expression 

 " foxing " is not so suitable to this animal as to many others. 

 The habit of " shamming death " is a widely-spread one in the 

 animal world, but at least not common with our Fox. The 

 sagacity of the Fox appears to be a little more proverbial than 

 actual ; literature teems with its accomplishments. The worthy 

 Archbishop of Upsala, Olaus Magnus, figured Foxes dipping their 

 tails in the streams, and then pulling out inquisitive crayfishes 



