NORTHERN OCEAN 341 



seen them in considerable numbers all along the West coast 

 of Hudson's Bay, particularly at Cape Esquimaux, Navel's 

 Bay, and Whale Cove, also on Marble Island ; so that with 

 some degree of confidence we may affirm, that they breed on 

 every part of the coast they inhabit during the Summer season. 

 They generally have from three to five young at a litter ; 

 more I never saw with one old one. When young they are 

 all over almost of a sooty black, but as the fall advances, the 

 belly, sides, and tail turn to a light ash-colour; the back, legs, 

 some part of the face, and the tip of the tail, changes to a 

 lead colour ; but when the Winter sets in they become per- 

 fectly white : the ridge of the back and the tip of the tail are 

 the last places that change to that colour ; and there are few 

 of them which have not a few dark hairs at the tip of the tail 

 all the Winter. If taken young, they are easily domesticated 

 in some degree, but I never saw one that was fond of being 

 caressed ; and they are always impatient of confinement. 



White Foxes, when killed at any considerable distance The White 



Fox. 



from the sea coast, (where they cannot possibly get any [366] 

 thing to prey upon, except rabbits, mice, and partridges,) are 

 far from being disagreeable eating. And on Marble Island 

 I have shot them when they were equal in flavour to a 

 rabbit ; probably owing to their feeding entirely on eggs 

 and young birds ; but near Churchill River they are as rank 

 as train-oil. 



The Lynx, or Wild Cat,^ is very scarce to the North of The Lynx, or 



^, ,.,,,' . , , ' ^ . ... r J Wild Cat. 



Churchill ; but is exactly the same as those which are round 

 in great plenty to the South West. I have observed the tracks 

 of this animal at Churchill, and seen them kilJed, and have 

 eaten of their flesh in the neighbourhood of York Fort. The 

 flesh is white, and nearly as good as that of a rabbit. They 

 are, I think, much larger than that which is described in the 



[' The Canada Lynx, Lynx canadensis Kerr, is of general distribution 

 throughout the wooded country, and occasionally in summer extends its 

 wanderings for a short distance into the Barren Grounds.] 



