28 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



silver foxes used in the crossing had ancestors of cross foxes, the pro- 

 bability is that a proportion of red, bastard, and cross foxes would 

 appear among their oflfspring. All evidence tends to show, however, 

 that very few, if any, with red colour on them are produced, and it 

 clearly demonstrates that the blackness of foxes can be made prac- 

 tically permanent by top-crossing to silvers. After mixing red, cross 

 and silver foxes for several generations, it is practically impossible 

 to estimate the kind of pups that will come. Litters were seen that 

 had red pups, cross pups and silver pups in them. 



Beyond a doubt, the finest foxes in captivity at the 

 Furred Foxes pi'esent time are the descendants of foxes captured 

 in Prince Edward Island. The best foxes, therefore, 

 belong to the geographical species, vulpes ruhricosa; or, what is affirmed 

 — and is not impossible — the Prince Edward Island fox, because it 

 has been cut off from the mainland, is a distinct sub-species or geo- 

 graphical race. No cranial and other measurements have yet been 

 secured. If scientists admit the fact of its difference from the main- 

 land species, a new name vulpes abegweit, could be chosen — ^Abegweit 

 being the Micmac Indian name for Prince Edward Island. 



As London sales show that silver and red foxes from Prince Edward 

 Island have been sold for the highest prices, the evidence seems to 

 bear out the assumption of its superiority. Red foxes have, in some 

 cases, sold for 80 shillings. Twenty-three red fox skins from Prince 

 Edward Island, marketed in London in 1910, by one man, were sold 

 for £68 sterling, or an average of $14.39 each. Other vendors claimed 

 to have received as much as 88 shillings each, but no documentary 

 proof was produced. 



When black colour phases of such animals are captured, they 

 are usually of excellent quality in fineness and colour of coat. As a 

 general rule, the ancestors of the highest priced foxes were dug out of 

 dens, situated on Prince Edward Island. 



One instance of the capturing of wild foxes may be quoted, as 

 the silver blood procured on this occasion flows strong in the highest 

 priced animals of the present time. Two residents of Bedeque, P.E.I. , 

 had seen a red vixen in that locality, and it was reported one winter 

 that a silver fox was seen running with her. The following July (1900), 

 Louis Holland and Louis Spence found the den and proceeded to dig 

 the young foxes out. They found four blacks and three reds, which 

 they sold to Charles Dalton for $300.00. 



Many other instances show that litters frequently occur in nature 

 as described above — half of the litter silver and half of it red. One 

 red female ranched in Nova Scotia and mated to a silver fox has produced 



