84 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. | July 
quiet as you pass it, but retreats at the slightest sign of molesta- 
tion. At the same time I am certain that, if kindly treated, it would 
soon exhibit affection. It is about the size of a collie. In colour it 
varies: some are black, variegated with white, or wzce versa, 
others gray, and others again, but infrequently, cinnamon colour. 
The Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) is tolerably common in the | 
vicinity of Fullerton, and during the winter months was frequent- 
ly brought in from the traps. In winter its coat disguises it 
thoroughly. One day in February I walked to the traps, in one 
of which was a fox, dead and frozen stiff, which at first I took to 
be a lump of snow, so much did the creature resemble its sur- 
roundings. On another day of the same month the traps were 
again visited, in one of which was a fox caught by the toes of one 
foot. It was living, and limped about when approached, but was 
very easily killed. As soon as it was dead, I examined its iris, 
and also examined the iris of a living fox which was brought to 
the vessel in November, and found the colour to be a beautiful 
brown. 
This completes our brief consideration of the carnivorous 
mammals observed. We have next to consider those belonging 
to other orders, and will begin with the Polar Hare (Lepus 
arcticus). This rodent, when fully clad in its pure white coat among 
the frozen ponds and snow-covered rocks of its native haunts, 
presents a graceful sight. It runs about, sits up, and lies down 
betimes, and moves rather timidly, somewhat in a semi-circle 
round about the observer. 
Polar Hares were occasionally shot at Fullerton, and any 
fine day during the winter, when walking over the islands of the 
channel, their foot tracks might be seen in the snow. Its winter 
coat is pure white, excepting the ear tips, which are jet black. 
The Hares have little difficulty in obtaining food, because the 
stalks of the dried hay-like grass which they feed upon, are often 
left uncovered by the drifts several inches above the surface of the 
snow. I frequently came across the places where they had been 
feeding, and found that besides eating the exposed grass, they 
also got at the covered-up vegetation by scraping the snow away. 
Hares were seen in August along the Greenland coast, and at 
. 
: 
