216 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27 



An imperfect specimen in the Xational Museum from Fort Simp- 

 son, taken many years ago by K. MacDonald, differs from the skins 

 from the lower Mackenzie mainly in the greater amount of black on 

 the feet. 



The region about Fort Eesolution furnishes a great many fox 

 skins, all the color phases occurring. Owing to the rivalry among 

 the different trading companies a very high price is sometimes paid 

 for an unusually fine ' silver ' or ' black ' fox. Among the large 

 number of skins seen at Fort Rae, the reel and cross phases greatly 

 predominated, but there were a few silver and black skins. During 

 the winter of 1903^, numbers of foxes, including several ' silvers,' 

 were traded at Forts Providence and Simpson. The red and cross 

 phases are common at Fort Norman, but the dark phases seldom 

 occur, and during the same winter none were traded at that post, 

 while at Arctic Red River five ' silver ' foxes were secured. 



Ross gives a good general account of the foxes of the Mackenzie 

 River region. The red and black phases are considered by him to 

 represent different species or varieties, of which the cross phase repre- 

 sents hybrids. He states that the numbers of red, cross, and silver 

 foxes traded in the Mackenzie River district during a period of ten 

 years were in the proportion of 6, 7, and 2. He states that the species 

 is most numerous about the large lakes and on the Arctic coast, and 

 is tolerably numerous on the Mackenzie, but is rare up the Liard 

 toward the mountains." 



MacFarlane in a recent paper expresses opinions in regard to the 

 different phases similar to those of Ross, though these are contrary 

 to the conclusions of the natives, and of most naturalists. He gives 

 many interesting observations regarding the habits of the species in 

 captivity and in a state of nature, and statistics regarding the num- 

 bers of the various phases for a series of years^ and to some extent 

 for different tlistricts. He states that the several phases were fairly 

 abundant about Fort Anderson, and more so on the lower Anderson 

 and along the Arctic coast between Herschel Island and Cape 

 Bathurst.^ 



Fort Anderson during the first year of its existence (outfit 1861) 

 traded 115 skins of red foxes, 120 cross foxes, and 32 silver and black 

 foxes. During the following year the returns were 220 red, 187 

 cross, and 66 silver and black. 



Among the skulls examined, a few from Fort Good Hope and 

 Anderson River, and one taken by us on Slave River, have broader 

 rostrums and heavier teeth than the remainder of the series. 



« Can. Nat. and GeoL, VI, p. 18, 1861. 



*Proc. r. S. Nat. Mus., XXYIII, pp. 701-704, 1^)05. 



