TEE ARCTIC FOX. 16& 



ourselves with one which forms almost as good an example of animal reason as any we have met with, 

 even in the Dog : 



" A farmer in Bogside, Beith, of the name of Fleming, was looking out of his window one summer's 

 morning, about three o'clock, when he saw a Fox crossing a field before it, carrying a large Duck which 

 he had captured. On coming to a stone dyke, about four feet high, on the side of the field, Reynard 

 made an effort to leap over it with his prey, but failed, and feU back into the field. After making 

 three attempts, with the same result, he sat down, and viewed the dyke for a few minutes ; after 

 apparently satisfying himself, he caught the Duck by the head, and standing up against the dyke with 

 his fore-paws as high as he cculd reach, he placed the bill of the Duck in a crevice in the wall ; then 

 springing upon the top he reached down, and pulling up the Duck, dropped it upon the other side, 

 leaped down, and picking it up, went on his way." 



The Common Fox is found, under more or less well-marked varieties, some of which are often 

 elevated to the rank of species, over the greater part of Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and in many 

 parts of America. 



THE ARCTIC FOX.* 



This is an extremely well-marked species of Fox, found in the southern and central parts of Green- 

 land, and extending high up Smith's Sound. It is sometimes seen during the Seal-hunting season 

 hundreds of miles from land, on the frozen sea, where it has wandered to feast on the dead Seals. 



It is usually stated that the colour of the skin of this animal varies with the season that in 

 summer it is of a blue-grey colour, while in winter it is perfectly white ; these colours, of course, 

 serving as a protection to the animal : the blue harmonises well with the rocky shore and the thick, 

 dark ice, while the winter coat is perfectly indistinguishable on the snow, with which the ground is 

 then thickly strewn. But according to a writer of high authority, Dr. Robert Brown, this is all a 

 mistake. The white and blue colours are distinctive of separate varieties of the Arctic Fox, and 

 not of the same animal at different seasons ; the colour in each case being wholly independent of the 

 time of year. The length, from snout to root of tail, is about two feet, that of the tail itself about a foot. 



An interesting account of the manners and customs of this pretty little animal is given by Sir 

 J. Richardson, who says : 



" The Arctic Fox is an extremely cleanly animal, being very careful not to dirt those places in 

 which he eats or sleeps. No unpleasant smell is to be perceived, even in a male, which is a remarkable 

 circumstance. To come unawares on one of these creatures is, in my opinion, impossible ; for even 

 when in an apparently sound sleep, they open their eyes at the slightest noise which is made near 

 them, although they pay no attention to sounds when at a short distance. The general time of 

 rest is during the daylight, in which they appear listless and inactive ; but the night no sooner sets in 

 than all their faculties are awakened : they commence their gambols, and continue in unceasing and 

 rapid motion until the morning. While hunting for food, they are mute, but when in captivity or 

 irritated, they utter a short growl, like that of a young puppy. It is a singular fact that their bark 

 is so undulated as to give an idea that the animal is at a distance, although at the very moment he lies 

 at your feet. Although the rage of a newly-caught Fox is quite ungovernable, yet it very rarely 

 happened that on two being put together they quarrelled. A confinement of a few hours often sufficed 

 to quiet these creatures ; and some instances occurred of their being perfectly tame, although timid, 

 from the first moment of their captivity. On the other hand, there were some which, after months of 

 coaxing, never became more tractable. These, we supposed, were old ones. 



" Their first impulse on receiving food is to hide it as soon as possible, even though suffering from 

 hunger, and having no fellow-prisoners of whose honesty they are doubtful. In this case, snow is of 

 great assistance, as being easily piled over their stores, and then forcibly pressed down by the nose, 

 frequently observed my Dog-Fox, when no snow was attainable, gather his chain into his mouth, and in 

 that manner carefully coil it so as to hide the meat. On moving away, satisfied with his operations, 

 he of course had drawn it after him again, and sometimes with great patience repeated his labours five 

 or six times, until in a passion he has been constrained to eat his food without its having been 

 rendered luscious by previous concealment. Snow is the substitute for water to these creatures, and 



* Canis lagopus. 



