THE MAMMALS OF NEW JERSEY. 107 



winter, and the female usually remains in the den with them 

 until spring-. 



Bears are rapidly approaching extinction in New Jersey, being- 

 now, probably, found only in some of the more remote cedar 

 swamps of the pine barrens. In 1902 several newspaper articles 

 described the presence of a bear in Blackwater swamp, near 

 Vineland, and according to Mr. Rhoads' correspondents, they 

 occurred in Manahawken swamp as late as 1890. As evidence 

 of their existence at the present time, I may state that in October, 

 1907, Mr. J. W. Holman of Stafford's Forge, near West Creek, 

 found tracks of an old and young bear extending for one-half 

 mile along- a swampy road leading up tO' the East Plains, some 

 7 m.iles from West Creek. 



Ursiis americanus Abbott, Cook's Geol. of N. J., 1868, p. 

 755. — Beesley, Geol. Cape May Co., 1857, p. 137. — Rhoads, 

 Mam. Pa. and N. J., 1903, p. 183. 



Family CANID-SE. 



Wolves and Foxe;s. 



This is the family of which the dog is the type. The wild 

 representatives are known as wolves and foxes. The former 

 have long since been extinct in New Jersey, but two species of 

 foxes are still found in the State. 



The animals of this family agree with the cats and differ from 

 the bears in being digitigrade instead of plantigrade and in hav- 

 ing only four toes on the hind feet. From the cats they differ 

 in their duller, non-retractile claws, as well as in skull characters, 

 and notably in habits. They are mainly terrestrial. 



Genus Vulpes Brisson. 



True Foxes. 



Vulpes fulvus (Desmarest). 



Red Fox. 



PivATE 56. 



Length, 40 inches. Fulorus or red, grayish on the rump and 

 flanks ; hair of the tail black toward the end, tip of the tail whit- 



