12 GILPIN ON THE MAMMALS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



It is to be hoped they will long be spared as fit denizens of our 

 northern hills and pine forests. 



Gejvus, Canis. 

 Canis occidentalis, (the Wolf). — I have identified this destruc- 

 tive animal as existing in Nova Scotia. A very large specimen, 

 taken at Windsor, was exhibited in Halifax. I can only mention 

 it to observe how very difficult it appears for some large species to 

 find new habitations. In Nova Scotia the cover and the game are 

 alike and equally abundant as in New Bruns-svick or Newfound- 

 land, yet twice within this century a voluntary migration of Wolves 

 has been made and both failed. About seventy years ago Wolves 

 made their appearance, but were soon lost sight of. About twenty- 

 years ago they again appeared simultaneously in every part of the 

 Province. The mail courier had scarcely reported one crouching 

 before his off leader in the gorge of the Cobequid hills, before one 

 was trapped at Yarmouth. They seem to have trotted through 

 the whole Province from north to the extreme south, and to have 

 retreated on their tracks with equal stealth; since for twenty years 

 no word has been heard of them. Their instinct taught them that 

 it was no place to found a race in. 



Genus, Vulpes. 



Vulpesfulvus, (Red Fox). — I have identified but one species of 

 Fox, though subject to varieties, as we will see, by a proneness to 

 nigritism, on studying their skins. 



A fine skin, in perfect winter condition before me, has the chin, 

 throat, line down the breast and belly, narrow line along hind legs 

 and tip of tail, white ; back of ears, stripe in front of each leg, 

 black; the tail with more or less sooty tips to the hau", inclining to 

 black; a dusky spot on each side of the nose from where- the mous- 

 tachial hairs spring ; all the rest of the body a rich lustrous fulvus 

 red, with a slight dash of hoar upon the flanks. 



Another skin before me has nose, face, backs of ears, chin, 

 throat, belly, entire legs and tail (except white tip) generally 

 black; shoulders and stripe down the back decided black; fore- 

 head, and part of shoulders and flanks, hoary grey, mixed with 

 yellow ; the rest of the skin pale yellow. This is the Cross Fox. 



In another skin before me, the yellow has entirely disappeared; 



