FOXES. 



559 



Asian fox is a paler-coloured and yellower animal as a rule, with very thick fur, 

 and a superb brush. The Japanese fox is somewhat variable in colour, but has 

 been declared to present no points of specific distinction ; and the same holds good 

 for the foxes of Siberia and China. The North African fox, which has also been 

 considered a distinct species, must likewise be regarded merely as a variety. 



This disposes of the foxes of this group found in the Old World, 

 and we turn to those of North America, where there is a greater 

 range of variation in colour and markings. These American foxes have received 

 distinct names, according to their coloration. Among these, the so-called red fox is 

 usually of a reddish yellow colour, with the hinder part of the back grizzled, the 

 throat, and more or less of the under-parts white, the outer surfaces of the ears 



American 

 Varieties. 



ARCTIC FOXES ON THE ICE. 



black, and the tail, except at the white tip, with black extremities to the hairs. The 

 cross-fox, as its name implies, is characterised by the presence of a transverse dark 

 stripe across the shoulders, and of another running down the middle of the back. 

 The tail is darker than in the red fox, while the legs, muzzle, and under-parts, are 

 nearly or completely black. The beautiful silver, or black fox, of which the fur is 

 so highly valued, is usually nearly or entirely black, with the exception of the tip 

 of the tail, which is generally white. It derives its name from the grey rings 

 usually marking the otherwise black hairs of the hinder half of the back, the head, 

 and the thighs, which communicate the peculiar silvery lustre to the fur. Indi- 

 viduals may, however, be met with, in which the fur is either completely black or 

 completely grey. That the red fox and the cross fox are undoubtedly a single 

 species is conclusively proved by a statement of Audubon to the effect that both 

 varieties may be found in a single litter of cubs. While the red and cross varieties 



