138 
U. S. I». R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
VULPES (UROCYON) VIRGINIANUS. 
Gray Fox. 
Canis virginianus, Erxleben, Systema Rcgni-Animalis, 1777, 567 (from Catesby). 
Schreber, Saugt. Ill, 1778, 361; pi. xcii, ( Virginische Fuchs—very poor fig. in text.) 
Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 74. 
Shaw, Gen. Zool. I, 1800, 325, (from Catesby.) 
Harlan, F. Am. 1825, 89. 
Griff. Cuv. V, 1827, 150. 
Canis ( Vulpes ) virginianus, Rich. F. B. A. I, 1829, 96. 
Vulpes virginianus, Dekay, N. Y. Zool. I, 1842, 45; pi. vii, f. 2. 
Aud. & Bach. N. A. Quad I, 1849, 162; pi. xxi. 
Cams cinereo-argentatus, Erxleben, Syst. An. 1777, 576. 
Schreber, Saugt. Ill, 1778, 360; pi. xcii. ( Gris Fuchs in text.) 
Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 74. 
Shaw, Gen. Zool. I, 1800, 324, (from Schreber.) 
Desmarest, Mamr. I, 1820, 204, (mixed with other species.) 
Harlan, F. Am. 1825, 90. 
Griff. Cuv. V, 1827, 148. 
Godman, Am. N. H. I, 280. 
F. Cuv. Suppl. Buffon, Mam. I, 1831, 187. 
Doughty, Cab. N. H. II, 1832, 145; pi. xiv. 
Wagner, Suppl Schreb. II, 1841, 436. Applies partly to Vulpes velox. 
Canis griseus, Boddaert, Elenchus Anim. 1, 1784, 97. (Gray Fox of Pennant.) 
Gray Fox, Catesby’s Carolina, II, 1731, 78; pi. lxxviii, (very bad figure.) 
Pennant, Syn. Quad. 1776, 157, (from Catesby.)— Ib. Hist. Quad. 1781, No. 160.— Ib. Arctic 
Zoology, I, 1784, 48. 
? Corsak Fox, Penn. Hist. Quad. 1781, 235 .—Ib. Arctic Zool. I, 1784, 47. (Based on a drawing, by Taylor White, 
of an animal from North America, possibly of this species.) 
Renard tricolor, St. Hilaire & Cuv. Hist des Mammif. II, 1819; plate. 
Sp. Ch. —Head and body a little aver two feet in length. Tail rather more than half as long. Tail with a concealed mane 
of stiff bristly hairs. Prevailing color mixed hoary and black; convexity aud base of ears, sides of neck, edge of belly, and 
considerable portion of fore legs rusty or cinnamon. Band encircling the muzzle, much dilated on the chin, black. Throat 
and lower half of face pure white. Tail hoary on the sides; a distinct stripe above and the tip black; rusty beneath. 
In the absence of fresh specimens I am unable to give any accurate account of the form of the 
gray fox, although the body is decidedly stouter and the head shorter and broader than in the 
red foxes. The hair is of two kinds, a soft waved under fur, completely concealed from view 
by rather stiff and coarse long hair. The ears are high and somewhat pointed, covered densely 
with hair, except immediately around the meatus. The legs appear rather short. There are 
four toes on the fore foot on one plane, and a rudimentary thumb, armed with a sharp claw, 
about an inch higher up. There are hut four toes on the hind feet. There are five naked 
callosities or pads on each foot, one under each toe, and one under the hall. On the fore foot is 
an additional callosity of small size under the carpus. The tail is large and bushy, and with 
the hairs, is about as long as the trunk, exclusive of head and neck. Some specimens would 
seem to indicate that the tail is longer in the male than in the female. There is a tendency to 
a compression of the tail instead of its being uniformly bushy all round. As in the body, there 
is a softer wool between the long hairs of the tail, except along the upper surface, where stiff 
hairs prevail exclusively, forming a kind of mane. 
