MAMMALS— CANUTE— UROC YON CINEREO-ARGEN TATUS. 



57 



Tail with a hidden mane of stiff hairs along the upper line. Muzzle com- 

 paratively short. Angle of jaw peculiar, (angularly emarginate). 



Specimen. 



No. 



Name. 



Locality. 



Date. 



Collector. 



Remarks. 



401 



Urocyon cinereo-argentatus 



Taos, N. Mex . . 



Aug., 1S74 



Dr. H.C. Yarrow. 



Skin. 



Descr. — About as large as the Red Fox, but much more stoutly built, 

 with shorter and broader head ; tail not perfectly cylindrical nor uniformly 

 haired, having a stiffish mane along the dorsal line. Prevailing color above 

 a gray grizzle, produced by intimate mingling of black and hoary whitish, 

 with which each hair is annulated ; it is darkest along the dorsal line, and 

 the upper surface of the tail has a similar blackish lengthwise stripe ; sides 

 of tail hoary, under surface tawny. Sides of the neck, flanks, and more or 

 less of the outer surfaces of the limbs rich fulvous, or cinnamon-brown; under 

 parts tawny whitish, usually pure white on the throat. Muzzle banded with 

 black, extending on the chin ; lower half of head, tip of chin, and sides 

 of muzzle at end white. Back of ears not black (more or less tawny) ; tip 

 of tail not white (black, in continuation of the dorsal stripe). Length about 

 28 inches ; tail, to end of vertebra?, lo to 16 inches ; to end of hairs, 14 to TS ; 

 ears, 24 high ; hind foot, 5 inches ; skull, 44 to 4§ by 2-J to 2§. 



Different specimens of the Gray Fox vary much in the shade of the 

 grizzled gray parts, extent and intensity of the fulvous, and precise pattern of 

 the black and white on the head ; but the animal does not appear subject to 

 the particular variations so conspicuous in the Red Fox (although partial 

 crossing has been recorded), ana 1 is always distinguishable on sight by color, 

 independently of the differences in build, in physiognomy, and in cranial 

 characters. 



Although both species are found together over a great part of our 

 country, the Gray is, on the whole, a more southern animal than the Red. 

 It is not common north of Pennsylvania and Southern New York, is rare in 

 New England, and only casual in Maine and Canada, Along its proper 

 parallels of latitude, it extends across the country from Atlantic to Pacific, 

 wherever the surface is suitable; but, being rather a woodland animal, it 



