46 



AMERICAN CROSS FOX. 



the feet densely clothed with short woolly hair, so that the callous spots 

 at the roots of the nails are scarcely visible. A black longitudinal stripe, 

 more or less distinct, on the under surface. 



Front of the head, and back, dark gray ; the hairs being black at the 

 roots, yellowish white near the ends, and but slightly tipped with black ; 

 so that the light colour of the under part of each hair showing through, 

 gives the surface a gray tint ; with these hairs a few others are mixed 

 that are black throughout their whole length. 



The soft fur beneath these long hairs is of a bro^^Tiish black. Inner 

 surface of ears, and sides of the neck from the chin to the shoulders, pale 

 reddish yellow ; sides, behind the shoulders towards the top of the back, 

 slightly ferruginous ; under surface, to the thighs, haunches, and under 

 part of the root of tail, pale ferruginous. Fur underneath the long hair, 

 yellowish. Tail dark brown ; fur beneath, reddish yellow ; the long hairs, 

 yellowish at base, broadly tipped with black ; at the extremity of the tail a 

 small tuft of w^hite hair. Nose, outer surface of ear, chin, throat, and 

 chest, black. A line along the under surface for half its length, and 

 broadest at its termination, black ; a few white hairs intermixed, but not 

 a sufficient number to alter the general colour. The yellowish tint on 

 each side of the neck and behind the shoulders, is divided by a longitudi- 

 nal dark brown band on the back, crossed at right angles by another run- 

 ning over the shoulders and extending over the fore-legs, forming a cross. 

 There is another cross, yet more distinctly marked, upon the chest ; a 

 black stripe, extending downward from the throat towards the belly, being 

 intersected by another black line, which reaches over the chest from the 

 inside of one fore-leg to the other. Hence, the name of this animal does 

 not originate in its ill-nature, or by reason of its having any peculiarly 

 savage propensity, as might be presumed, but from the singular markings 

 we have just described. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Adult Male. 



From nose to root of tail 

 Tail (vertebrae) . 

 Tail, to end of hair 

 From nose to end of ear 

 " to eyes 



Weight, 14 pounds. 



24i inches. 

 12i do. 

 16 do. 



8 do. 



21 do. 



