264 
AMERICAN RED FOX. 
with hair, that the nails are concealed. The body of this species has a 
strong musky smell, far less disagreeable, however, than that of either 
the skunk or mink. It becomes less offensive in a state of domestication. 
COLOUR. 
Point of nose, outer extremity of ears, and outer surfaces of legs below 
the knees, black ; forehead, neck, flanks, and back, bright-reddish, and a 
little deeper tint on the back and fore-shoulders ; around the nostrils, 
margins of the upper jaw, and chin, pure white ; throat, breast and a nar- 
row space on the under surface, dingy-white ; extreme end of brush 
slightly tipped with white : inner surface of ears, and base of the outer sur- 
face, yellowish. The hair on the body is of two sorts : long hairs interspers- 
ed among a dense coat of softer, brighter, and more yellowish fur ; on the 
tail the longer interspersed hairs are more numerous, and many of them are 
quite black, giving the tail a more dusky appearance than rest the of the body. 
In addition to the distinct varieties of this .species, the black and cross 
Fox, we have seen some shades of difference in colour in the red variety. 
In some the colours on the back are considerably darker than in others 
We have seen several with the nose and chin nearly black, and in others 
the white tip at the tail is replaced with black. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Feet. 
Inches. 
From point of nose to root of tail, - - - 
2 
G 
Tail (vertebrae) ...... 
1 
1 
“ to end of hair, 
1 
5 
Height at shoulders, 
1 
1 
“ of ears posteriorly .... - 
2f 
HABITS. 
This Fox, in times gone by, was comparatively rare in Virginia, and 
farther south was unknown. It is now seldom or never to be met with 
beyond Kentucky and Tennessee. Its early history is not ascertained, it 
was probably for a long time confounded with the Gray Fox, (which is in 
many parts of the country the most abundant species of the two,) and af- 
terwards was supposed to have been imported from England, by some Fox- 
hunting governor of one of the “ colonies.” It was first distinguished from the 
Gray Fox and hunted, in Virginia ; but now is known to exist in all the 
Northern States, and we are somewhat surprised that it should so long 
have been overlooked by our forefathers. No doubt, hov/ever, the culti- 
