CHAPTER V. 

 THE BLACK OR SILVER FOX. 



(Canis argentatus.] 



A SHORT time since, on visiting the Zoological Gardens, 

 Regent's Park, two specimens of this valuable and 

 beautiful animal were pointed out to me, which had 

 lately been presented to the institution by the Hudson's 

 Bay Company. I could not help being much delighted 

 with the fine proportions and magnificent coat, par- 

 ticularly of the larger specimen, as he excelled in size 

 and beauty any representative of this family that I had 

 ever previously seen ; although for a long period I had 

 resided in a part of Northern Canada that probably 

 supplies as many of these extremely rare animals as 

 any portion of the American continent, and during the 

 entire length of my residence was constantly associated 

 with trappers and fur traders, et hoc genus omne, as 

 well as having a line of traps constantly set that 

 required my daily supervision. 



