The Dog Family — Foxes. 161 



and ears, a white area at the end of the tail, and certain 

 white-tipped hairs on the back and rump. From this phase 

 to the next the black increases in extent, until in the typical 

 cross fox the black predominates at the feet, legs and 

 under parts, while fulvous overlaying- black covers most of 

 the head, shoulders, and back. A gradual increase of the 

 black and elimination of the fulvous, or its replacement by 

 white, brings us to the next phase, the silver or silver- 

 grey in which no fulvous appears, the entire pelage being 

 dark at the base and heavily or lightly overlain with grey- 

 ish white. Silver foxes vary from those in which the color is 

 entirely grizzled, to those in which it is entirely black, except 

 a few white-tipped hairs on the back and rump. Finally, in 

 the black phase, the white is absent from all parts except 

 the tip of the tail, which is white in all phases. The red 

 phase is much more abundant than the others, but the three 

 interbreed freely, and wherever one occurs occasional ex- 

 amples of the others also may be expected. In general the 

 cross fox is fairly common, the silver-grey is comparatively 

 scarce, and the pure black is excessively rare. The prices 

 usually paid for skins of the different phases vary accord- 

 ing to the relative scarcity of the animals. Thus red fox 

 skins command only a moderate price, cross foxes are some- 

 what higher, silver foxes are many times higher, and pure 

 black skins are exceedingly valuable being higher priced 

 than any other fur except sea otter." 



It is believed that the Arctic or Blue Fox was not found on 

 the Pribilov Islands at the time of their discovery in 1787, 

 but that it was taken to those islands subsequently, and 

 under the fostering care of the government the herds on 

 these islands have not only grown strong numerically but 

 produce exceptionally fine skins. They are therefore very 

 desirable for breeding stock and can be obtained from the 

 Secretary of Commerce for that purpose, sales being made 

 from time to time under competitive bids. 



Blue Fox skins from the Pribilov Islands have been mar- 

 keted for many years, some idea of their quality may be 

 formed from the fact that three hundred and ninety-one 

 Blue and White Foxes taken on the islands in the winter 

 of 1911-12. netted the government $20,505.17; one lot of 

 twenty-eight skins bringing $3,675, or an average of more 

 than $131 per skin. 



