38 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 



speaking, lead nocturnal lives, and have a propensity to 

 burrow in the earth, which dogs never do ; in habits they are 

 unsociable, never, although capable of being tamed, becoming 

 truly domestic ; they are sly, cautious, and " cunning as a 

 fox," being ever ready to destroy all such animals, especially 

 young and 'tender ones, as they can master. When caught 

 in a trap they will sacrifice the limb, by gnawing it off, and 

 thus escape. There are five species ascertained to be peculiar 

 to this country, though Geoffrey adds a sixth, since, however, 

 ascertained to be only a variety of the black : of these THE 

 RED Fox {V.fulvus) is by far the most common. This has 

 been thought to be identical with the common fox of Europe 

 but the fineness of its fur, the brightness of color, slenclerness 

 of body, and the form of its skull, clearly prove it a distinct 

 species. THE GRAY Fox ( V. Virgi- 

 nianus) is very common, being found 

 more in the vicinity of farm build- 

 ings than the red one. It is pre- 

 ferred by the hunters, since it does 

 not start off directly from its haunts, 

 but after sundry doublings is gene- 

 rally captured near its starting point. THE BLACK OR SILVER 

 Fox (F". Argentatus) is found through the northern-most 

 parts of the Continent, as well as in Asia, but is very 

 rare, and its skin is accounted one of the most valuable furs. 

 THE SWIFT OR BURROWING Fox ( V. Velox) inhabits the Mis- 

 souri or the Rocky Mountains, and always burrows ; hence its 

 name. Its swiftness is inconceivable, outstripping the antelope, 

 and may be compared moe to the flight of a bird. The notes 

 respecting it taken by Say, were lost, and as no other natu- 

 ralist has given an accurate description of \ifrom observation, 

 very little can be said of its habits. The fifth kind is THE 

 ARCTIC Fox (Canis Lagopus). This frequents the higher 

 latitudes, and only comes a few degrees below the Polar 

 Circle. It is captured to a great extent in the Hudson Bay 



