THE RED FOX. 219 
Several of the peculiarities here enumerated, such as 
the greater length and fineness of the hair and the 
woolliness of the feet beneath, which during the winter 
entirely covers the callous tubercles, are, it is true, 
nothing more than the usual consequences of a northern 
climate; and taken alone they would by no means 
entitle the American animal to be regarded as a distinct 
species. But the remarkable differences in the form of 
the head and in the expression of the physiognomy, 
which can only be properly appreciated on a compa- 
rison of living specimens, are, it appears to us, decisive 
of the question. We have not ourselves had an oppor- 
tunity of examining the skull of the Red Fox; but if it 
be correctly described by M. de Beauvais, and after 
him by M. Desmarest and M. F. Cuvier, it is sufficiently 
distinguished from that of the common species by the 
prolongation backwards of the line of attachment of 
the temporal muscles and by several minor peculiarities. 
The tip of the tail, it should be observed, is not always 
white; but it is constantly distinguished by a lighter 
colour than the rest, and appears never to become black 
as is sometimes the case in the European species. 
The Red Foxes, we are informed by Dr. Richardson, 
are so abundant in the wooded districts of the Fur 
Countries that about eight thousand skins are annually 
imported from thence into England. Like the European 
Foxes they burrow in the earth during the summer, 
but prefer the shelter of a fallen tree during the winter, 
probably because the severity of the climate would 
expose them to the danger of having their burrows 
frozen up. They hunt chiefly during the night, and 
prey upon the smaller animals of the rodent order; but 
they also devour fish and animal food of every kind, 
and are frequently seen abroad during the day. There 
seems to be much difficulty in catching them on account 
