MAMMALS. 



239 



VULPES LAGOPUS (Liuu.). Arctic Fox (Esk. Katujj-u-li(l(j'ul;). 



In additiou to numerous skulls, the skins of two young individuals were obtained. One of 

 these (No. 13877 (-10)), taken at Saint Michaels in August, 1877, is clothed throughout with rather 

 short wooly haii-. On the back and the upper part of the extremities it is of a very light blui.sh 

 or purplish ash color; ou the sides and belly, yellowish white. The tail and feet are bluish white. 



The second specimen (So. 13878 (57)), taken at Saint Michaels, September 19, 1879, is similarly 

 colored, but the colors are dark. The head and legs are clothed with brownish and white hairs 

 intermingled. The tail is strongly bicolor. The under-fur above is purplish-ash colored at the 

 base and browu at the tip; miugled with it are long white hairs. Below, both under-fur and 

 longer hairs are white. 



SKINS. 



" JUY. 



SKULLS. 



Biographical notes. The White Stone Fox. — Along allot the belt of open coast country north 

 from the peninsula of Aliaska around all of the Bering-Sea and Arctic shores of the Territory these 

 beautiful little animals are common residents. They are also found upon such of the islands of Ber- 

 ing Sea as they can reach upon the ice. They rarely find their way to the Fur Seal group, but 

 are numerous ou Nunevak, Saint Matthews, Saint Lawrence, and all the islands in Bering Straits. 

 They are extremely numerous in all the opeu country lying between the Lower Yukon and Kus- 

 koquim Rivers. Thence north to the Kaviak Peninsula they are less common, but in the latter 

 district become nuiuerous again, and are abundant in all the coast country to the north. The 

 wilder and more sterile the country the more abundant this fox apjiears to be. During my long 

 winter journeys along the coast of Bering Sea the tracks of these foxes were found everywhere; 

 they were distinguishable from those of the red fox by their smaller size. 



While cruising along the coast between Bering Straits aud Point Barrow, duriug the summer 

 of 1881, hundreds of their skius were brought otf to us by the Eskimo; they were found in 

 equal numbers along the opposite Siberian coast. The broad level tundra and the wildest and 

 most precipitous coast appear to be equally attractive to them. We also found them on Herald 

 and Wrangel Island.s. In summer, when the ground is bare of snow, the White Fox is a very 

 conspicuous animal, but its pure white coat is so like the snow in winter that it is almost impos- 

 sible to follow one with the eye as it runs swiftly across the white expanse. They sometimes 

 make their presence known tc> travelers during the night, aud I recall particularly that ou a fine 

 night, in early January, when I camped at the mouth of the Kuskoquim Eiver, a number of these 

 animals kept about for several hours, within from 7o to 100 yards of us, uttering an odd, weak, 

 querulous bark. We broke camp before daybreak the next morning, but none of our friends of the 

 lirevious evening were heard. 



Parts of the country where rocky ledges occur are specially frequented by them, as the crevices 

 among the rocks give them welcome shelter. During summer they fare sumptuously upon the 

 breeding water-fowl, eggs, aud young birds which are found everywhere, but in winter comes 

 harder work and the ground is carefully searched for stray mice, lemmings, or an occasional ptar- 



