THE TUNDRA AND ITS ANIMAL LIFE. 



73 



parental duties, brood, rear, and educate their young, moult, and 

 migrate abroad again. 



The number of species which may be looked upon as native to 

 the tundra is small indeed, yet it is much greater than that of those 

 which may be regarded as characteristic of the region. As the first 

 of these, I should like to place the Arctic fox. He ranges over the 

 whole extent of the tundra, and is sure of maintenance and food 

 in the south at least, where he occurs along with our fox and other 



Kg. 7.— The White or Arctic Fox (Cards lagopus). 



allied species. Like some other creatures he wears the colours of 

 his home, in summer a rock-coloured dress, in winter a snow-white 

 robe, for the hairs of his thick fur coat are at first stone-gray or 

 grayish-blue, and become snow-white in winter.^ He struggles 

 through life with ups and downs like other foxes, but his whole 

 character and conduct are quite different from those of our reynard 

 and his near relatives. One scarcely does him injustice in describing 

 him as a degenerate member of a distinguished family, unusually 

 gifted, intelligent, and ingenious. Of the slyness and ingenuity, 

 the calculating craft, the never -failing presence of mind of his 

 congeners he evinces hardly any trace. His disposition is bold and 



