St. Mary's beacon., 1853-04-28

:. DEVOTED TO
LEONA
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES above. VIII
tish beneath. Ears behind, and anter;o
part of legs, varying from light brown t
deep black. Length, 81 feet.
Descripffon.-From large male lilIe
in Queens county, Long Island. New
York. Snout, small and pointed. Lengtl
of head 10.
CofoT.-Anterior part of the head
the fanks and back, bright reddish, NOR,
particularly along the back and fore
shoulders, where the color is more in
tense. Margin Of the upper jaw anc
chm, pure white. Throat, breast, anC
narrow space aolng the belly, viii
tish, mixed with brown on the latter
Fore and hind feet black in front, the
black on the latter extending UP on tie
outside of the thigh. Toes margined
with fulvous. Brush ample, reddish,
composed of two sorts Of hairs, the one
black at the base and reddish at the tips:
the other, much longer, entirely black.
and giving to the whole tail dusky an
Pearance.
Head and body 900
"Fer:ebra and tail 12.O
Ditto, tips Of hairs 16.O
The Red Fox varies considerably in
weight and size; the specimen above de-
scribed weighed eleven pounds; and
have heard Of others weighing fifteen
pounds; but such are not common, the
more usual weight is from eight to ten
pounds. Although this fox burrows well,
yet 1t Is not uncommon to find them ta-
king possession of the burrows of the
skunk, for the purpose Of rearing their
young. Richardson states that it burrows
IN summer, and In winter takes refuge
under fallen tree. It brings forth from
four to SIX young, about the latter end of
March or first of April, in the State of
New York: Thess sEe d. first covered
once saN. &c tsf5ss q Ia all were
white, and, like the dog, were blind for
some days after birth. They feed on the
smaller Guadrupeds and birds, and are
accused of destroying lambs. They
make occasional forays upon the barn.
yard, but in this respect they are not So
daring as the other species, and perhaps
IN some measure compensate for these in
jurics by destroying feld-mice, ana other
noxious vermin. It's flesh is rank and dis
agreeable. Il to this species we refer two
strongly marked varieties, which have
bv some naturalists been treated as
species.
Il. TIE Cross For-dccussatus.-The
color of the preceding, with dark stripe
on the neck from the head 20 the back,
crossed at right angles by another dark
stripe over the shoulders. This cross is
sometimes only feebly distinct, and at
otherS we'll defined. 1t has the size,
form, habits, and fine fur Of the Red Fox,
and is always considered by the hunters
as q variety. The caprice Of fashion has
attached great value to this skin. While
the Red Fox skin is valued at about two
dollars, the Cross Fox has been known
to sell for twelve, and sometimes as high
as fifteen dollars. It occurs in every
part of the State, but more particularly
in the northern districts.
a. The Black For.-Godman, vol. l.,
p. 274, pl. fig. almost entirely black;
the end Of the tail and spots on the
breast occasionally white, sometimes in
tenscly hoary. This is very rare in this
State. have never met with it, but
have been assured by hunters in the
northern counties, that they have some
times killed it. Richardson, page "a,
asserts that its fur fetches six times the
price of any other fur produced in North
America. It's value, doubtless, increases
with the intensity and purity of the black
color"
II is the existence Of these two varie-
ties only-for it appears to be conceded
by all the best naturalists, that there are
no specific distinctions between the Red,
Cross, and Black Foxes-that inchnes
me to the belief that the American and
English, or European Red Fox is not
identical; since no such varieties are to
be found in the other hemisphere as