FOXES. 359 
Asian fox is a paler-coloured and yellower animal as a rule, with very thick fur, 
and a superb brush. The Japanese fox is somewhat variable in colour, but has 
been declared to present no points of specific distinction; and the same holds good 
for the foxes of Siberia and China. The North African fox, which has also been 
considered a distinct species, must likewise be regarded merely as a variety. 
Acierican This disposes of the foxes of this group found in the Old World, 
Varieties. and we turn to those of North America, where there is a greater 
range of variation in colour and markings. These American foxes have received 
distinct names, according to their coloration. Among these, the so-called red fox is 
usually of a reddish yellow colour, with the hinder part of the back grizzled, the 
throat, and more or less of the under-parts white, the outer surfaces of the ears 
ARCTIC FOXES ON THE ICE. 
black, and the tail, except at the white tip, with black extremities to the hairs. The 
cross-fox, as its name implies, is characterised by the presence of a transverse dark 
stripe across the shoulders, and of another running down the middle of the back. 
The tail is darker than in the red fox, while the legs, muzzle, and under-parts, are 
nearly or completely black. The beautiful silver, or black fox, of which the fur is 
so highly valued, is usually nearly or entirely black, with the exception of the tip 
of the tail, which is generally white. It derives its name from the grey rings 
usually marking the otherwise black hairs of the hinder half of the back, the head, 
and the thighs, which communicate the peculiar silvery lustre to the fur. Indi- 
viduals may, however, be met with, in which the fur is either completely black or 
completely grey. That the red fox and the cross fox are undoubtedly a single 
species is conclusively proved by a statement of Audubon to the effect that both 
varieties may be found in a single litter of cubs. While the red and cross varieties 
