U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



subsequent to the date when the copies of Stansbury's report and the separately printed zoology 

 were distributed. The priority of publication is thus clearly with the name of Vulpes macrourus, 

 which must consequently be retained. 



In this specimen, (variety decussatus,) the muzzle, legs, entire under parts, including inside 

 of limbs, and the convexity of the ear are of a sooty black. The dorsal region, extending from 

 the crown of the head to the middle of the back, with branches over the shoulders, are also 

 sooty brown, including the basal fur ; the long hairs, however, show near their tips a space of 

 yellowish, which takes somewhat from the uniformity of color ; the proportion of yellowish on 

 the hinder part of the back is still greater, and, in fact, rather exceeds the black, and produces 

 a strongly grizzled appearance. The sides of the neck and of the body behind the shoulders 

 (where the color extends high up) are of a buff yellow, the basal fur still lighter exteriorly, 

 though dusky at the base. The tail exhibits a mixture of black and yellowish, the hairs being 

 dusky at base, then yellowish, and with dark brown tips ; the sides and under surface of the 

 tail show most yellow. The extreme tip of the tail is white. 



The black of the upper parts of the legs and muzzle is not pure, but slightly grizzled with 

 grayish. The wooly hairs on the soles of the feet are yellowish white. 



Several skins of red foxes, (457, 458, 459, 1018,) brought by Dr. Suckley from Oregon, 

 although smaller than those described above, may yet be considered as identical, on account of 

 the finer fur and more yellow color. These specimens, unfortunately, are mere hunters' skins, 

 unaccompanied by skulls, and lack data for more precise determinations. I shall, however, for 

 the present, retain them provisionally under V. macrourus. Lewis and Clark, however, refer to 

 the red fox of the coast region of Oregon as identical with that of the eastern States, and both 

 as distinct from the large fox of the plains. 



The most prominent peculiarity the skull of this fox is the elongated and slender muzzle, 

 which exceeds the common red fox as much as the latter does the European Vulpes vulgaris. 

 Tin's is abundantly shown by the table of measurements given under the general head of the 

 sub-family, by which it will be seen that the skull is absolutely longer and more slender than 

 any one measured, either European or American. 



Dimensions of No. 24. 



