A LABRADOR SPRING 



The red fox varies from the common form, 

 which is a rich fulvous red with a white tip 

 to the tail and small black markings on feet and 

 ears, through certain well marked stages, 

 known as the cross or patch fox, and the silver, 

 to the black fox. In the cross fox the feet, 

 legs and under parts are black, while red more 

 or less mixed and overlaying black extends 

 over the head and back. In the silver fox 

 the red is nearly absent, and the fur is dark at 

 the base, while the tips of the hairs are white 

 or gray. In the pure black fox the white or 

 silver tips to the hairs are everywhere elimi- 

 nated, except at the tip of the tail, which always 

 remains white. The red phase is of course the 

 most abundant form, while the others increase 

 in rarity in the order giyen. The black is the 

 rarest, and a good black fox skin brings an 

 extremely high price. The Fur Trade Review 

 for 1907 says: "The fashion for this article 

 continues, and the fine dark skins are specially 

 in demand the highest priced skin realized 

 ^440 " ($2,140). Our Belgian friend told us he 

 had obtained from $400 to $1,400 for his skins, 

 and averaged $700. After five or six years he 

 had succeeded in eliminating all the red from 



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