152 MAMMALIA—FOX 
THE AR CTA 2 O X,} 
In its full winter dress, is entirely of a pure white color, except at the tip 
of the tail, where there are a few black hairs intermixed. Before the eyes, 
and on the lower jaw, the hair is short and sleek; on the posterior part of the 
cheeks, and on the forehead, it becomes longer, and on the occiput and 
neck it equals the ears in length, and is intermixed with soft wool. There 
is so'much wool on the body, that it gives the fur the character of that 
of the American hare. In the months of April and May, when the snow 
begins to disappear, the long white fur falls off, and is replaced by shorter 
hair, more or less colored. The head and chin are then brown, having 
some fine white hairs scattered through the fur. A similar brown color ex- 
tends along the back to the tail, and down the outside of all the legs; the 
under parts of the body being of a dingy white. 
The perfect similarity of habits, and the series of variations in their fur, 
may lead us to conclude that the arctic foxes of the New and Old World 
are of the same species. They are inhabitants of the most northern lands 
hitherto discovered, and in North America they are numerous, on the shores 
of Hudson’s Bay, north of Churchill, and exist also in Bhering’s Straits. 
The brown variety of the Arctic fox breeds on the sea-coast, within the 
Arctic circle. They form burrows in sandy spots in little yillages, twenty 
or thirty burrows being constructed adjoining-each other. Towards the 
middle of winter they retire to the southward, evidently in search of food, 
keeping as much as possible on the coast. 
Captain Lyon, who has studied the manners of the Arctic fox with atten- 
tion, says, “that it bears a great resemblance ‘to the European species, 
though it is considerably smaller. The general time of rest is during the 
daylight, in which they appear listless and inactive, but the night no sooner 
sets in, than all their faculties are awakened: they commence their gam- 
bols, and continue in unceasing and rapid motion till morning. Their bark - 
is so modulated, as to give you an idea that the animal is at a distance, 
although at the very moment he lies at your feet. They feed on eggs, 
young birds, blubber, and carrion of any kind; but their principal food seems 
to be lemmings of different species. A confinement of a few hours often 
sufficed to quiet one of them; and some instances have occurred of their 
being perfectly tame although timid, from the first moment of their captivity. 
Their fur is of small value in commerce.” 
ed 
1 C. lagopus, Lr. 
