A LABRADOR SPRING 
The red fox varies from the common form, 
which is a rich fulvous red with a white tip 
to the tail and small black markings on feet and 
ears, through certain well marked stages, 
known as the cross or patch fox, and the silver, 
to the black fox. In the cross fox the feet, 
legs and under parts are black, while red more 
or less mixed and overlaying black extends 
over the head and back. In the silver fox 
the red is nearly absent, and the fur is dark at 
the base, while the tips of the hairs are white 
or gray. In the pure black fox the white or 
silver tips to the hairs are everywhere elimi- 
nated, except at the tip of the tail, which always 
remains white. The red phase is of course the 
most abundant form, while the others increase 
in rarity in the order given. The black is the 
rarest, and a good black fox skin brings an 
extremely high price. The Fur Trade Review 
for 1907 says: ‘‘ The fashion for this article 
continues, and the fine dark skins are specially 
in demand — the highest priced skin realized 
£440” ($2,140). Our Belgian friend told us he 
had obtained from $400 to $1,400 for his skins, 
and averaged $700. After five or six years he 
had succeeded in eliminating all the red from 
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