AMBEICAN RED FOX. 83 



The Columbia Bed Pox is very similar to the Alaska 

 animal. 



There is a very large variety of Bed Fox, nearly the 

 size of small Wolves, inhabiting Kadiak Island ; these 

 skins, the largest of all Foxes, measure as much as 3 feet, 

 not including the tail, which is another 18 to 20 inches ; 

 the colour is pale or light red, and the quality coarse ; 

 the ears are partly red and partly black, about one-third 

 from the tip ; the belly is of a light colour, but the paws 

 and part of the legs are black ; in this respect they 

 resemble the Alaska. 



The Kamschatka Fox surpasses all other Foxes in the 

 depth and richness of the red colour ; the fur is also of 

 very fine quality. 



The Chinese Fox is of a pale light yellow, and the 

 skin is coarse in quality, and of small value, about 

 Is. 6d. to 2s. 



The Japanese Fox is very similar to the Chinese ; it 

 is, perhaps, of a little deeper colour. 



In most districts, except the North-west district, 

 there are found examples (animals) of a slightly darker 

 colour on the shoulders and rump, and blacker in the 

 belly ; these approach, but are not quite, the colour of a 

 Cross Fox. These skins are called "Bastards " in the fur 

 trade. They are intermediate in colour between the 

 Bed and the Cross Fox, and it is difficult to say which 

 they resemble most. These skins realize a price about 

 halfway between each variety, and are sold by themselves 

 in the Hudson's Bay Company's sale, after the Bed Fox 

 skins. 



There are, besides the ordinary, "Bastard" Foxes, 

 that is, dark Foxes with black bellies and legs, found 

 in most States of the Union. 

 White varieties (White-Bed Fox) are extremely rare ; 



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