( 97 ) 

 NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



Black* Variety of Fox. — I have on several occasions examined 

 specimens of a blackish variety of the Fox, killed in this neighbourhood, 

 which were probably similar to that reported by Mr. R. F. Tomes, and 

 mentioned in the Editor's note (p. 17). On looking through my notes, 

 however, I can only find one entry relating to them, but as far as I 

 remember, the others would resemble the description I then wrote down. 

 My note, dated Feb. 18th, 1886, to this effect is : " Saw the head and brush 

 of one of these so-called ' Black Foxes.' The throat is dark blackish grey. 

 The long hairs on the head and neck have long black tips, giving the head 

 a blackish cast, instead of the ordinary red. The brush has very long black 

 tips to the hairs, and is very dark in appearance ; there is no white ' tag.'" 

 This Fox, when seen alive and at a little distance, would probably look so 

 much darker than an ordinary red one, as to almost warrant anyone in 

 casually calling it black. A considerable variation in the colour, as well as 

 the size of different Foxes, may often be observed, some being much greyer 

 than others. The season would partly account for this, the short bright 

 red fur of summer being replaced with a longer fur with grey-tipped hairs 

 in midwinter and early spring. The same thing occurs in the case of the 

 Squirrel. Age may also be a factor, very large and old Foxes being 

 probably greyer than younger ones. Perhaps this is the foundation for the 

 common idea about here that there are two varieties, viz., the large grey 

 Fox (described sometimes as being as large as a sheep-dog), and the small 

 red Fox, which I have heard called the " French Fox." In a list of 

 vertebrate animals in ihe * History of Banbury ' (1841), it is remarked of 

 the Fox, — " Two varieties ; known as the Greyhound Fox and the Terrier 

 Fox."— 0. V. Aplin (Bloxham, Oxon). 



Pied Variety of the Brown Rat.— A pied Rat was killed at Burnt- 

 house Farm, Farnhara, Suffolk, at the latter end of January last. It was 

 a male, nearly full-grown, and evenly marked, nearly the whole of each side 

 of the body being white. The head, limbs, and a narrow line along the 

 middle of the back were of the normal colour. — G. T. Rope (Blaxhall, 

 Suffolk). 



Mouse-coloured Variety of the Mole. — A local birdstuffer, Mr. 

 Reeves, has lately shown me a curious mouse-coloured variety of the Mole, 

 which he received in the flesh. In certain lights the fur has a yellowish 

 tinge. The most interesting point about this Mole, however, is its maimed 

 and scarred condition. When it was taken it was found to have lost the 

 whole of one hind leg and nearly all its tail. These losses had evidently 

 ZOOLOGIST,— MARCH, 1890. J 



