104 



THE KIT FOX. 



CANIS VELOX. 



Canis velox, Say, in Long's KxiXKlition to Rocky Mountains, vol. i. 

 p. tH7(lH2.'J); Harlan, Fauna Anu-rioana, p. 91 (182.")); 

 Max. Wicd, Ucisc Nonl-Amrr. vol. ii. pp. U k 2M (18 H). 



CaiiU cinereo-an/riilatus, Sabine in Franklin's Jonrn. p. ()o8. 



(^anis microtiis, Ileichenbach, Ucgnum Animalr, i. 10, fi<;s. 72 & 7'A ; id. 

 I'liivcrsuin dps Tliirrrciclis, vol. i. |i. I-'} (18K)) ; Wagner, 

 Wifgmanii's Arcliiv, vol. iii. 18;{7, p. I(i2. 



Canis {Vulpes) rinereo-argentatus, Richardson, Fauna Borcali-Amcrieana, 

 p. 98. 



Vulpes velox, Audubon and Ikiclmiaii, Quadrupeds of North America, 

 vol. ii. p. l.'J, plate 52 (1851) ; Baird, Mammals of North 

 America, p. l.'$.'{ (18j7) ; (Ji-ay, I'roc. Zool. Soc. 1808, 

 p. .">19, |)1. .'J1-; id. Catalogue of Carnivorous Mammalia, 

 p. 206. 



Kit Fox, Lewes and Clarke's Travels, vol. ii. 



Till'. Kit Fox is one of the most elcgint and attractive of the whole family 

 of the Canidfe, and is also much tlie smallest of all those found in Nortli 

 America. It was first clearly identified and unequivocally named by 

 Say. Schreber and subsequently J. A. Wagner seem to have confused 

 this animal with C. vir^iiiianus. The figure given by Schreber 

 (Theil ii. plate 92 a) certainly cannot be taken to represent, and the 

 ajjpcllations bestowed by these naturalists cannot be recognized as 

 .ippertaiuing to, the present species. 



Say was led to apply to it the name velox through having been 

 struck with its extraordinary swiftness, when he had opportunities of 

 observing it run with the antelope and comparing their velocities. Its 

 movement haj been compared to that of a bird skimming the surface of 



