278 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



climbing to a branch of a tree, and letting down 

 moss, upon which the victim comes to feed, and is im- 

 mediately mounted by the Glutton, which never ceases 

 its hold until the lacerated deer falls to the ground. 



^M 



THE WOLF. 



Several species of Wolf are found 'in California, 

 and in some parts tbey are very numerous. The 

 Common Wolf, the Gray Wolf, Dusky Wolf, Black 

 Wolf, and the Prairie Wolf all abound in different 

 portions of the country. 



Of Foxes, the most common is the American Red 

 Fox (Canis Fulvus). The Red Fox has a much finer 

 brush than the European, and is altogether a larger 

 animal. The fur of the body is full, long, soft, and 

 of a bright rufous brown ; the skin is therefore valued 

 as an article of trade, and about eight thousand are 

 annually imported into England from the fur coun- 

 tries, where the animal is very abundant, especially 

 in the wooded parts. It is not, however, confined 

 to the colder latitudes ; its range, in fact, extends 

 throughout the whole of the United States. In habits 

 and manners the Red Fox agrees with our common 

 Reynard, but possesses neither the same wind nor the 

 same vigor and power of endurance. 



