222 
ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 
and the opportunity which we have ourselves had of 
making a similar comparison in the Society's Menagerie 
has enabled us to form a decided opinion of the correct- 
ness of that gentleman's views upon the subject. On 
the most careful examination we have been unable to 
detect any other important difference between them 
than that which results from their colour ; and we are 
told by Dr. Richardson " that the gradations of colour 
between characteristic specimens of the Cross and Red 
Fox are so small, that the hunters are often in doubt 
with respect to the proper denomination of a skin." 
Such gradations exist in the excellent series of skins in 
the Society's Museum ; and a similar variation in the 
European species, from its usual dull tawny to an 
arrangement of colours exactly corresponding with that 
of the American Cross Fox, and distinguished by the 
same name, has been remarked by zoologists from the 
revival of natural history down to the present day ; but 
although the earlier naturalists, whose ideas of a species 
were very unsettled, constantly distinguished between 
these latter races, it seems now to be universally ac- 
knowledged that the difference is merely accidental. 
The distinguishing peculiarities of the American Cross 
Fox consist in the dark iron gray of the fore part of its 
head ; the blackish stripe passing from the head along 
the back and intersected by a similarly coloured band 
extending downwards over the shoulders ; the pale 
colour of the sides, the tawny occasionally disappearing 
altogether ; and the deep black of the legs and of all 
the under parts of the body. Its fur is generally con- 
sidered finer than that of the Red Fox, and the com- 
parative rarity of the animal renders it much more 
valuable. 
In manners and disposition the two animals appear 
to be precisely similar. 
