FOX HUNTING IN AMERICA. 249 
can hold a sober face in dealing with a proverbially slippery 
and facetious customer. 
There are about twelve well known species belonging to 
this genera, four of which are native to North America. 
There are many disputes among Naturalists with regard to 
che varieties of this animal. Instead of twelve, the number 
of species has been extended to sixteen. Mr. Audubon, ia 
his new work, the Quadrupeds of America, has discovered 
that many of those animals which have been named and set 
down as distinct species, are only varieties. As for instance, 
the Cross Fox, the Black or Silver Fox, and the Red Fox, 
have each been classed as a separate species heretofore; but 
he has shown, I think, conclusively, that the two first are 
mere varieties of the last. 
He found all three together in one litter. This fact in 
itself, is very strong proof that he is right, for the Gray Fox 
is never known to breed with either of these varieties; and 
the same is true of the Swift Fox and the Arctic Fox. This 
is somewhat singular, for the Red Fox is well ascertained to 
breed with the wolf and dog; while a mortal antipathy is 
thought to exist between it and the Gray Fox; so great, 
indeed, as to give rise to a common opinion, that the Gray 
Fox is exterminated by the Red wherever it makes its appear- 
ance, 
Furthermore, the celebrated’ Dr. Richardson adheres to 
the same opinion, in common with the Indians, hunters and 
trappers, who have a saying, with regard to the Red Fox, 
“This is not a Cross Fox yet, but it is becoming so!” The 
European Fox is subject to similar varieties, and the Canis 
crucigera of Gessen, differs from it in the same way that our 
Cross Fox does from the Red one. On the whole then, I 
regard it as a safe conclusion, that the Red and Gray Foxes 
are the only distinct species we have within the present limits 
of the States. 
The slight variations of pelage, which have given rise to the 
