AMERICAN BED FOX. 83 



The Columbia Bed Fox is very similar to the Alaska 

 animal. 



There is a very large variety of Eed Fox, nearly the 

 size of small Wolves, inhabiting Kadiak Island ; these 

 skins, the largest of all Foxes, measure as much as 3 feet, 

 not including the tail, which is another 18 to 20 inches ; 

 the colour is pale or light red, and the quality coarse ; 

 the ears are partly red and partly black, about one-third 

 from the tip ; the belly is of a light colour, but the paws 

 and part of the legs are black ; in this respect they 

 resemble the Alaska. 



The Kamschatka Fox surpasses all other Foxes in the 

 depth and richness of the red colour ; the fur is also of 

 very fine quality. 



The Chinese Fox is of a pale light yellow, and the 

 skin is coarse in quality, and of small value, about 

 Is. 6d. to 2s. 



The Japanese Fox is very similar to the Chinese ; it 

 is, perhaps, of a little deeper colour. 



In most districts, except the North-west district, 

 there are found examples (animals) of a slightly darker 

 colour on the shoulders and rump, and blacker in the 

 belly ; these approach, but are not quite, the colour of a 

 Cross Fox. These skins are called " Bastards " in the fur 

 trade. They are intermediate in colour between the 

 Eed and the Cross Fox, and it is difficult to say which 

 they resemble most. These skins realize a price about 

 halfway between each variety, and are sold by themselves 

 in the Hudson's Bay Company's sale, after the Eed Fox 

 skins. 



There are, besides the ordinary, " Bastard " Foxes, 

 that is, dark Foxes with black bellies and legs, found 

 in most States of the Union. 



White varieties (White-Bed Fox) are extremely rare ; 



G 2 



