46 THE NATURALIST IN NORWAY. 



her legs. Thejom-fru screamed " Murder/' when her 

 tormentors, frightened at the unusual sound of a fe- 

 male's voice in distress, made off. They were cap- 

 tured a few days afterwards in a timber-yard in the 

 town. 



The Arctic or white fox (Vulpes lagopus) has its 

 home in Norwegian Lapland. It is also to be met 

 with in the Dovre-fjeld, but seldom visits the southern 

 parts of this country. It differs, in many respects, 

 from the common fox. It is more cleanly in its habits, 

 nor does any offensive smell proceed from the anal 

 glands. It has a broader and sharper head than the 

 common fox, while the ears are not so pointed, and are 

 yellow on the inside of them. The eyes are situated 

 low down in the head, which gives it a singularly trucu- 

 lent look. It is also considerably smaller in size than 

 the common red fox. Its body colour is white, which is 

 tinged in summer with very pale blue. In winter it is 

 white or dirty white all over the body. The hair is 

 long and fine, but the skin is of less value than that of 

 the common fox, as the hair is liable to come off. This 

 animal is gregarious, and lives in colonies ; it also 

 burrows in the sand on the seacoast. It is said to be 

 an excellent swimmer, and on the west coast of Fin- 

 mark, it occasionally leaves the mainland, and swims 

 to the adjacent islands. Although it does not possess 

 the cunning of the common fox, it displays consider- 

 able sagacity at times, for it hides its food in the snow, 

 and always does so when it thinks no person is ob- 

 serving it. 



Writing of the white fox, Captain Lyon says, " I 

 frequently observed my dog-fox, when no snow was 

 attainable, gather his chain into his mouth, and in 



