FAMILY CANID^. 45 



of rearing their young. Richardson states that it burrows in summer, and in winter takes 

 refuge under a fallen tree. It brings forth four to six young, about the latter end of March 

 or first of April, in my neighborhood : these are at first covered with a smoke-brown fur. In 

 a litter which I once saw, the tips of the tail in all were white, and like the dog, were blind 

 for some days after birth. They feed on the smaller quadrupeds and birds, and are accused 

 of destroying lambs. They make occasional forays upon the barnyard, but in this respect 

 they are not so daring as the other species, and perhaps in some measure compensate for 

 these injuries by destroying field mice and other noxious vermin. Its flesh is rank and disa- 

 greeable. It is to this species we refer two strongly marked varieties, which have by some 

 naturalists been treated as species. 



1. The Cross Fox. Color of the preceding, with a dark stripe on the neck from the head 

 to the back, •crossed at right angles by another dark stripe over the shoulders. This cross is 

 sometimes only feebly distinct, and at others well defined. It has the size, form, habits and 

 fine fur of the Red Fox, and is always considered by the hunters as a variety. The caprice 

 of fashion has attached a great value to this skin. While the red fox skin is valued at about 

 two dollars, the cross fox has been known to sell for twelve, and sometimes as high as fifteen 

 dollars. It occurs in every part of the State, but more particularly in the northern districts. 



2. The Black Fox. (Godman, Vol. 1, p. 274, pi. fig. 1.) Almost entirely black ; the end 

 of the tail and spots on the breast occasionally white, sometimes intensely hoary. This is 

 very rare in this State. I have never met with it ; but I have been assured by hunters, in 

 the northern counties, that they have sometimes killed it. Richardson, p. 94, asserts that its 

 fur fetches six times the price of any other fur produced in North America. Its value doubt- 

 less increases with the intensity and purity of the black color. 



THE GREY FOX. 



VULPES VIHOINIANUS. 



PLATE VU. FIG. 2. — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



The Grey Fox. Catbsby, Car. Vol. 2, p. 78. 



Cam virgmianus. Gmklin, Syst. Vol. 1, p. 74. 



C. cinereo-argmtatus. Say, Long's Exped. Vol. 2, p. 340. 



C. mrginianus. Harlan, Fauna Americana, p. 89. 



The Grey Fox. Godman, Am. Nat. Hist. Vol. 1, p. 280 (figure); Emhonb, Mass. Report, 1840, p. 31. 



Characteristics. Grey, varied with fulvous ; a patch of black on each side, between the eye 

 and nose. Smaller than the preceding. 



Description. The body is lower on its legs, and its muzzle is more acute than in the Red 

 Fox. Tail thick and bushy. 



Color, generally hoary or silvery grey, becoming darker from the foreshoulders to the 

 posterior parts. Fur at base lead color, then soiled white, gradually becoming white, and 

 tipped with black. Head grey. Ears yellowish within, tinged with reddish around their 

 bases ; tips dark brown, yellowish behind. On each side of the head a sub-triangular patch 



