MAMMALIA. 97 
[28.] 4. Canis (VULPES VULGARIS) VULPES? (Linn.?) The Fox? 
Canis vulpes. Harian, Fauna, p. 86. 
Canis fulvus. Gopman, Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 276. 
M. Frederick Cuvier and M. Desmarest, who admit and describe the American 
Red Fox (C. fulvus) as a distinct species, state the Common Fox to be also an 
inhabitant of North America. It does not exist in the countries north of Canada 
lying to the eastward of the Rocky Mountains, and consequently did not come 
under our notice on’ the late Expeditions ; but it is admitted into this work, as 
being most probably an inhabitant of New Caledonia. Several of the voyagers 
who have visited the Atlantic coast of North America mention two kinds of red 
fox skins, in possession of the natives; the one having a fine, long, silky fur, of a 
reddish-yellow colour (C. fulvus?) ; the other of a smaller size, having shorter and 
coarser fur, and less lively tints of colour (C. vulpes ?). I think it very probable that 
an investigation into the characters of the American foxes will shew that the reddish 
Fox of the Atlantic states is a variety of the Canis cinereus, which has been mistaken 
for the European Fox. Dr. Godman states that these reddish foxes “‘ are numerous 
in the middle and southern states of the Union, and are every where notorious 
depredators ‘on the poultry yards.” Kalm says, “the red foxes are very scarce 
here (New York) ; they are entirely the same with the European sort. Mr. 
Bartram, and several others, assured me, that, according to the unanimous 
testimony of the Indians, this kind of fox never was seen in the country before the 
Europeans settled in it. But of the manner of their coming over I have two 
different accounts: Mr. Bartram, and several other people, were told by the 
Indians, that these foxes came into America soon after the arrival of the 
Europeans, after an extraordinary cold winter, when all the sea to the northward 
was frozen. But Mr. Evans and some others assured me that the following 
account was still known by the people. A gentleman of fortune in New England, 
who had much inclination for hunting, brought over a great number of foxes 
from-Europe, and let them loose in his territories, that he might be able to 
indulge his passion for hunting. This, it is said, happened at the very beginning 
of New England’s being peopled with European inhabitants. These foxes were 
believed to have so multiplied, that all the red foxes in the country were their 
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