CARNIVORA. 
^^7 
and even if one of them be kept in this country, and 
no change be found to take place, it is not to be 
therefore concluded, that it would not alter in its 
own country, in which it may be principally, if not 
entirely, exposed to the requisite excitement. 
The skin of the silver, or black fox, is highly 
esteemed by the furriers. It is very silky, and of a 
beautiful black, but with the tips of many of the 
hairs of a fine silvery white ; and the end of the tail 
white. It is shaped like the common fox, but is 
said to be less in size. Specimens have been brought 
from the North of America, as well as Asia. 
The cross fox is described, by Geoffroy, as a South 
American animal, as big as the common fox. The 
fur is varied with black and white, giving a gray 
appearance on the upper part of the body, with a 
black stripe placed transversely over the shoulders. 
The muzzle, lower part of the body, and paws, are 
black ; the flanks, and parts about the anus, have a 
yellow tinge 5 and the extremity of the tail is grayish 
white. 
The opposite figure is from a drawing of Major 
Smith’s, done from the life in America. The animal 
appears referable to the cross fox of Geoffroy, which 
is, probably, a mere variety of the silver, or black 
fox of the same naturalist : but as the reddish yellow 
colour of the forehead 5 the white band, passing from 
the back of the mouth under the eye, and terminating 
in the ear ; the fox-coloured ring round the throat ; 
the general inclination to a yellow brown tinge of the 
