208 THE FOX 



what later in the year, the majority coming into the 

 world at the end of April or the beginning of May. 

 Like our foxes, they are great rat-hunters, but no 

 fish or flesh comes amiss to them. 



There are now two foxes to be noted which are both 

 distinct species with well-defined differences. The first 

 of these is Cam's Lagopus, known as the white or 

 blue fox according to its habitat. This creature 

 is remarkable for its annual change of coat ; and in 

 the hall of the Natural History Museum at South 

 Kensington there is an admirably arranged group of 

 Arctic foxes in their summer and winter dress. Not 

 every Arctic fox becomes white in the winter. Any- 

 one can see the difference of the Arctic from the 

 common fox in the rounder head and blunter muzzle 

 which distinguish it. It is altogether a much milder- 

 looking and more innocent animal, and the Arctic 

 fox confirms by its habits the suggestion of its form 

 and face. These foxes are the only members of the 

 family Canida that migrate, and each winter they 

 move southward along the coastline. They are far 

 more sociable than the common fox, and live together 

 in little tribes of twenty or more, each family in- 

 habiting a separate burrow, earths being placed 

 close together. Unlike the common fox, which is 

 scarcely ever really tamed, the Arctic fox is gentle, 



