94 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 
DESCRIPTION 
Of a very characteristic Specimen of the Cross Fox, quoted from Mr. Sabine. — 
©The front of the head is gray, composed of black and-white hairs, the latter predominating 
on the forehead ; the ears are covered with soft black fur behind; and with long yellowish 
hairs within ; the back of the neck and shoulders are pale ferruginous, crossed with dark 
stripes, one extending from the head to the back, the other passing the first at right angles 
over the shoulders; the rest of the back is gray, composed of black fur, tipped with white = 
the sides are pale ferruginous, running into the gray of the back; the chin and all the under 
parts, as well as the legs, are black, a few of the hairs being tipped with white; the under 
part of the tail and the parts of the body adjacent are pale yellow, the gray colour of the 
back extends to the upper part of the tail, at the commencement—the rest of the tail is dark 
above and lighter beneath, being tipped with white. The character of the fur is thick and 
long.” The quantity of red fur, and the brightness of its colours, vary in different specimens; 
and the cruciform markings are scarcely apparent in some specimens, which from the fineness 
of their fur are acknowledged to be Cross Foxes. 
Canis FULVUS, Var. y. ARGENTATUS. Black or Silver Fox. 
Renard noir ou Hahyuha. Sacarp TuEopat, Canada, p. 744. 
European Fox var. a. Black, PENNANT, Arctic Zool., vol. i. p. 46. 
Renard noir ou Argenté. GEorrroy, Collect. du Museum. 
Grizzle Fox. Hutcuins, MSS. 
Renard Argenté. F. Cuvier, Mamm. lith. 5 livr. ; 
Canis argentatus. Desmarrst, Mammal. p. 203. SaBineE, Franklin's Journey, p. 657, HARLAN. 
Fauna, p. 88. 
The Black or Silver Fox. Gopman, Nat. Hist., vol. i. p, 274. 
Tschernoburi. Russians. 
This variety is more rare than the Cross Fox, a greater number than four or 
five being seldom taken in a season at any one post in the fur countries*, though 
the hunters no sooner find out the haunts of one than they use every art to catch 
it, because its fur fetches six times the price of any other fur produced in North 
America. La Hontan speaks of a black fox skin as being in. his time worth its 
* Foxes of a corresponding colour seem to be equally rare in Europe. ‘‘ The Silver or Black Fox is so rare, that 
Seldom more than three or four are taken in the course of a year on the Lofoden islands, and I never heard of its 
having been met with in the other parts of Norway.” —A. DE CaPELL BRooxE, Travels in Norway, p.285. 
—_— — —" 
