Quadrupeds. 7783 



nape of the neck to the tail, widening towards the rump, and passing 

 over the tops of the thighs. The whiskers, white in winter, have 

 brown hairs intermixed, and a yellowish tint surrounds the ears, eyes 

 and mouth, and tinges the shanks and feet. A few long dark hairs 

 may be perceived by careful examination sprinkled down the back, 

 and the tail has a slight plumbeous shade mixed with faint yellow. 

 The colour does not approximate in either summer or winter pelage 

 to that of the blue fox, which has been erroneously stated to be the 

 young of the white. The white fox measures, in a good specimen which 

 I have before me, 22 inches from the tip of the nose to the root of the 

 tail, which measures 13 inches to the end of the hairs. It is an ex- 

 tremely stupid animal, easily killed and very tame. It is sometimes 

 knocked on the head in open day, while following the sleds of the 

 Indians. It lives on mice, carrion, birds, especially ptarmigan, to 

 which it is a deadly enemy. 



Blue Fox (var. horealis) .—^imWdcc to the white in every particular 

 except that of colour. 



In the lack of positive information upon the subject, I am uncertain 

 whether to consider this as a mere variety of the white fox or to class 

 it as a distinct species, but I will for the piesent consider it as the 

 former. 



The Arctic blue fox measures 35 inches from the tip of the nose to 

 the root of the tail, which is 13 inches in length to the end of the 

 hairs. Its colour in winter is a plumbeous-brown; the under fur 

 plumbeous, and the larger hairs brown at the tips, with white hairs inter- 

 spersed, but not in great numbers. On the head and nape of the 

 neck the colour is a reddish gray, like the tint of a silver fox in sum- 

 mer pelage. Under the throat down to the chest the colour is nearly 

 a pure chocolate, paling on the belly into a shade similar to that of 

 the back; the sides and flanks are nearly pure plumbeous, mingled with 

 white hairs. The legs are brownish gray, and the fur, which covers 

 the soles of the feet densely, is a dirty white. The claws are nearly 

 an inch long, brown in colour, strong and well curved. The tail is of 

 a like tint with the back, but of a lighter shade. The nose is reddish, 

 with a black tip. The fur is remarkably thick and fine, and the tail 

 very full. In summer pelage it is difficult to define the colour, but it 

 may be called a smoky brown ; on the forehead the gray of the winter 

 coat still remains, and there is also a faint stripe of the same shade 

 down the centre of the back. There is less of the reddish tint 

 throughout than in the winter fur. 



