38 
ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 
speaking, lead nocturnal lives, and have a propensity to 
burrow in the earth, which dogs never do ; in habits they are 
unsociable, never, although capable of being tamed, becoming 
truly domestic ; they are sly, cautious, and u cunning as a 
fox,” being ever ready to destroy all such animals, especially 
young and tender ones, as they can master. When caught 
in a trap they will sacrifice the limb, by gnawing it off, and 
thus escape. There are five species ascertained to be peculiar 
to this country, though Geoffrey adds a sixth, since, however, 
ascertained to be only a variety of the black : of these The 
Red Fox ( V. fulvus ) is by far the most common. This has 
been thought to be identical with the common fox of Europe — 
but the fineness of its fur, the brightness of color, slenderness 
of body, and the form of its skull, clearly prove it a distinct 
species. The Gray Fox ( V. Virgi- 
nianus ) is very common, being found 
more in the vicinity of farm build- 
ings than the red one. It is pre- 
ferred by the hunters, since it does 
not start off directly from its haunts, 
but after sundry doublings is gene- 
rally captured near its starting point. The Black or Silver 
Fox ( V. Argentatus ) is found through the northern-most 
parts of the Continent, as well as in Asia, but is very 
rare, and its skin is accounted one of the most valuable furs. 
The Swift or Burrowing Fox ( V. Velox) inhabits the Mis- 
souri or the Rocky Mountains, and always burrows ; hence its 
name. Its swiftness is inconceivable, outstripping the antelope, 
and may be compared more to the flight of a bird. The notes 
respecting it taken by Say, were lost, and as no other natu- 
ralist has given an accurate description of it from observation , 
very little can be said of its habits. The fifth kind is The 
Arctic. Fox {Canis Lag opus'). This frequents the higher 
latitudes, and only comes a few degrees below the Polar 
Circle. It is captured to a great extent in the Hudson Bay 
