THE BLACK OR SILVER FOX. 45 



empty form, but one which emanates from genuine 

 friendship and unselfish feelings. 



There are no distinctive differences between the 

 black and red fox excepting colour, save it be that 

 the fur of the former is much finer ; but this can satis- 

 factorily be accounted for by his residence being always 

 in much colder latitudes ; in fact, his chief resorts 

 appear to be the intermediate space between the homes 

 of the red and Arctic representatives. Nevertheless, I 

 claim that he is of different species from either of the 

 afore-mentioned. My reason I will state. 



The black fox has been known in North America 

 since the first settlement of the country. We learn 

 of one of the Indian chiefs presenting some of the 

 earliest settlers with a skin of this species, as a mark of 

 the high estimation placed on the white man's friend- 

 ship. Not so with the red fox of the eastern portion 

 of the North American continent* In searching over 

 some old works among the admirable writings on 

 natural history emanating from the pen of Postmaster- 

 General Skinner, now dead many years, we learn that 

 the red fox was introduced into the state of Maryland 

 from England about one hundred years ago. The 

 introducer was no other than the gallant and loyal 

 old soldier, Colonel Guy Carlton, whose name so con- 

 spicuously appears associated in all the efforts made by 



