162 



VULPES VIRGINIANUS.— ScHREBER. 



Gray Fox. 

 PLATE XXI.— Male. S-Tlhs natural size. 



V. griseo nigroque variegatus, lateribus et partibus colli lateralibus 

 fulvis, genis nigris. 



CHARACTERS. 



Gray, varied with black, sides of neck and flank, fulvous ; black on the 

 sides of the face between the eye and nose. 



SYNOl^MES. 



Fox OF Carolina, Lawson, Car., p. 125. 



Gray Fox, Catesby, Car., vol. ii., p. 78, fig. C. 



■ " " Pennant, Synop., p. 157, 114. 



Canis ViRGiNiANUs, Schrcber, Saugethiere, p. 361, 10 to 92 B, 1775. 



" " Ersleben, Syst., p. 567, 10, 1777. 



" " Linn., Syst. Nat., ed. Gmel., vol. i., p. 74, 16, 1788. 



" Cineheo-Abgenteos, Erxleben, Syst., p. 576, 9. 



" Ciisereo-Argentatus, Say, Long's Expedition, vol. ii., p. 340. 



" ViRGiNiANCs, Desm., Mamm., p. 204. 



" Cinebeo-Abgentatds, Godman, Nat. Hist., vol. i., p. 280, fig. 2. 



" (VuLPEs) ViRGi.MANUs, Rich., F. Boreali A., p. 96. 

 Vulpes ViRGiNiANHS, Dekay, Nat. Hist, of Nevr York, p. 45. 



DESCRIPTIOlf. 



Head, considerably broader and shorter than that of the red fox, ( Vul- 

 pes fuhus ;) nose, also shorter, and a little more pointed ; teeth, not so 

 stout ; ears, a little longer than in the latter animal, of an oval shape, 

 and thickly clothed with hair on both surfaces ; whiskers, half the 

 length of the head. Bod}"-, rather thicker and more clumsy in appearance 

 than that of either the swift fo.x, (F. velox.) or the red fox; far, much 

 coarser than that of the other species. Legs, rather long ; nails, strong, 

 slightly arched, visible bej'ond the fur ; soles, ^vith five stout tubercles, 

 not clothed virith hair ; tail, large, bushy, clothed like the body with two 

 kinds of hair ; the fur, or inner hair, being soft and woolly, the outer 

 hairs longer and coarser. 



