ARCTIC FOX. 
northern regions. He prefers the coasts ot 
the Frozen Sea, and the banks of the rivers 
Avhich fall into it. He loves open countries, 
and never frequents the v/oods. He is found 
in the coldest and most naked mountains cf 
Norway, Lapland, Siberia, and Iceland. These 
animals copulate in the month of March ; and, 
their organs of generation being formed like 
thrse of the Dog, thev cannot separate for 
some time. Their rutting season lasts tifteen 
davs, or three \veeks, during which they are 
always in the open air ; and afcerw?.rds they 
retire to their holes, which are narrow, very 
deep, and have several entries. They keep 
their holes clean, and make beds of moss in 
them. The time of gestation, like that of the 
Bitch, is about nine weeks. The females 
bring forth about the end ot May, or beginning 
of lune, and generally produce six, seven, or 
eight, at a litter. M. Gmelin says, from the 
testimony of hunters, that these animals some- 
times produce twenty or twenty-nve at one 
litter. But this fa<5l is extremely suspicious. 
Those which are to be white, are yellowish at 
the birtli : those wliich are to be of a Mueish 
ush- colour, are blackish: their hair, toj. is 
then 
