FOXES AND FOX-FARMING 215 
and heavily or lightly overlain with grayish- 
white. Silver foxes vary from those in which 
the color is entirely: grizzled to those in which 
it is entirely black, except a few white-tipped 
hairs on the back and rump. Finally, in the 
black phase, the white is absent from all parts 
except the tip of the tail. 
The red phase is much more abundant than 
the others, but the three interbreed freely, and 
wherever one occurs occasional examples of the 
others also may be expected. In general, the 
cross fox is fairly common, the silver-gray is 
comparatively scarce, and the pure black is 
excessively rare. The prices usually paid for 
skins of the different phases vary according to 
the relative scarcity of the animals. Thus red 
skins command only a moderate price ($1.50 to 
$3.50), cross foxes are somewhat higher ($4 to’ 
$8), silver foxes are several times higher ($50 
to $250), and pure black skins are exceedingly 
valuable, being higher priced than any other 
fur except sea-otter—$1,000 to $2,000. 
Area suited for fox-farming. The natural 
habitat of this fox includes the greater part of 
North America, from the central United States 
