FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



known as red, cross, silver and black. The 

 belly of the red variety is often black, as in the 

 case of Italian foxes. American red foxes vary 

 as much in size as colour, the average animal 

 being heavier than our English fox. While in 

 Canada I handled a fair number of foxes from 

 forest districts, and came across some very heavy 

 specimens. Unfortunately I never weighed any 

 of them, so have no record to refer to. In 

 Virginia foxes run small, but in the wilder forest 

 districts, and on Kadiak Island, very large 

 specimens are to be met with. In the recognised 

 hunting countries of the States and Canada, the 

 red fox is as highly valued for sport as is our own. 



The cross fox varies a good deal in colour, a 

 typical skin shows black predominating on feet, 

 legs, and underparts, the rest of the fur being red 

 overlaying black. The change from cross to 

 silver, shows an increase of black, overlaid with 

 greyish white. In the black phase, white is 

 eliminated from all parts with the exception of the 

 tip of the brush. Silver foxes vary from a 

 grizzly shade to pure black. Whilst the red fox 

 is common, and the cross fox fairly so, the silver 

 is scarce, and the black extremely rare. All four 

 phases interbreed freely. Black, silver, and 

 cross foxes are melanistic varieties of the common 

 red fox. No fossil remains of foxes have been 

 found in America. 



In his book " Horse and Hound," the late 

 General Roger D. Williams. M.F.H., Iroquois 

 Hunt Club, Kentucky, says : — 



" The red fox was unknown in America previous to 1760, at 

 which time a number of them were imported from England and 

 liberated on Long Island. They made their way to the main- 

 land and to-day are found from North Carolina and Tennessee to 

 the whole North Eastern part of the United States, as far west 

 as Montana, and as far north as Alaska." 



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