19 
U. virginianus.—‘‘ The Gray Fox was formerly very abundant, but it rapidly disap- 
peared before the advancement of cultivation, and its place is now generally filled by a 
more cunning and sagacious successor, the Red Fox.”—[Obhio Geol. Surv., 1838. ] 
Of this beautiful animal, Thoreau says: 
‘¢ His pace is a sort of leopard canter, as if he were in nowise impeded by the snow, 
but were husbanding his strength all the while; when the ground is uneven the course 
is a series of graceful curves, conforming to the shape of the surface. He runs as though 
there were not a bone in his back, occasionally dropping his muzzle to the ground for a 
rod or two, and then tossing his head aloft when satisfied of his course. When he comes 
to a declivity he will put his fore feet together and slide swiftly down it, shoving the 
snew before him. He travels so softly that you would hardly hear it from any distance. 
Sometimes you will see the trail (in the snow) of many together, and where they have 
gambolled and gone through a hundred evolutions, whieh testify to a singular listless- 
ness in nature.”—[Thoreau’s Excursions—Natural History of Massachusetts. | 
Genus Urocyon. Baird. 
Urocyon, Baird. Mamm. N.:A., 1857.— Vulpes, Brisson. 
Etymology, Greek, owra—tail, and kuon—dog. 
Type, Urecyon cinereo-argentatus, (Schreb.) Coues. 
Generic Characters.—Tail with a concealed mane of stiff hairs without 
any soft fur intermixed; muzzle short; temporal crests always widely 
separated. A supplementary tubercle on the lower sectorial tooth ; under 
jaw with an angular emargination below. “ Mane-tailed foxes,” Two 
species; the type and U. litoralis (Baird) of the island of San Miguel, Cal- 
ifornia. | | 
URocYON CINEREO-ARGENTATUS. (Schreb.) Coues. 
GRAY Fox. 
1778. Canis cinereo-argentatus, Schreber, Siug., 111, 1778, 360, pl. 92 (has 
actual priority over Erxlebin.)—Erxl., Syst. An., 1777, 576.— 
Gm., Syst. Nat.,1, 1788, 74.—Shaw, Gen. Zo6l., i, 1800, 324.—Desm., 
Mamm., i, 1820, 204 (partim).—Harlan, Fn. Amer., 1825, 90.— 
Griff, An. Kingd., v, 1827, 148——Godman, Am. Nat. Hist., i, 
1831, 280.—Fr. Cuv., Suppl. Buffon, i, 1831—Doughty’s Cab. 
Nat. Hist., 11, 18382, 145, pl. 14.—Wagn., Suppl. Schreb., ii, 1841, 
436 (partly).—Woodh., Sitgreave’s Report Expl. Zuni and Col- 
orado, 1854, 46. _ 
1778. Canis virgintanus, Schreb., Saug., iii, 1778, 361, pl. 92.—Hrxl., 
Syst. An., 1777, 567.—Gm., Syst. Nat., i, 1778, 74.—Shaw, Gen. 
Zool., i, 1800, 325.—Harlan, Fn. Amer., 1825, 89.—Griff., An. 
King., v, 1827, 150.—Rich., F. Bor. Amer., 1829, 96 ( Vulpes.) 
1784. Canis griseus, Bodd., Elench. Anim., i, 1784,.97 (Hx Penn.) 
1857. Vulpes (Urocyon) virginianus, Baird, Mamm. N. A., 1857, 188. 
