38 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



traders recognise no fewer than six varieties of fox, viz. 

 the red, black, silver, white, cross, and " blue," which 

 last, I, and many other trappers, call a grey fox. It is the 

 white, or arctic {Canis lagopus) fox, in its summer coat. 

 In high latitudes it becomes perfectly white with a black 

 tip to its tail, and a blackish muzzle. Between grey, or 

 blue, and absolute white, these foxes may be found of all 

 shades. Some remain grey, and some white, at all 

 seasons, summer and winter ; and I have never found any 

 of them south of the shores of Hudson Bay. They 

 breed in holes among the stones, cavities of rocks, &c., 

 but never, in my experience, form burrows for this 

 purpose, though they do in the snow for concealment and 

 repose. They do not hibernate. 



The other foxes are all of one species. The contrary 

 is asserted in many works, and on " scientific authority." 

 I, however, have found all four varieties in litters of red 

 foxes ; therefore, without wishing to be offensive to either 

 critics or " scientists," I say positively that those who 

 assert that these foxes are distinct varieties are mistaken. 

 The cross fox is very common. Often half a litter are so 

 marked. They have a black mark, in the form, more or 

 less distinct, of a cross, on the back and shoulders ; and 

 are also often dabbled, or mottk-d, with black. The 

 silver fox is black, with a great number of white hairs in 

 its coat, giving it a speckled appearance. When these 

 hairs are few in number the fox is said to be black. A 

 perfectly black fox is utterly unknown. They generally 

 are marked with white in the same manner that a cross 

 fox is with black ; and the tails of all are tipped with 

 white. 



The red fox breeds in self-made holes, the hollows of 

 trees and rocks, and similar places. The usual number 

 in a litter is four or five, but sometimes six or seven. 

 Seven is the greatest number I have found, but the 

 Indians say that sometimes there are as many as nine. I 

 suspect that in this case there may be two litters in one 



